A band that should, by rights, be far bigger than they are, Therapy? nonetheless have a rabid following and their fifteenth album, Cleave comes with a fair degree of anticipation appended to it, not least thanks to a series of live shows and festival appearances over the last year that showed that this most ferocious of junkyard dogs is far from barked hoarse. Informed by the turmoil that has engulfed much of the world in the past few years, Cleave is a confrontational look at the social ills that are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore and, with so potent a subject matter on hand, the band have written one of their finest albums to date.
It seems that Therapy?, on their fifteenth album, are in a particularly unforgiving mood as they slam into the searing Wreck it like Beckett, a ferocious punk rant with distorted vocals, discordant guitars and the sneering opening line “I’m distracted, I’m bored, I see everything all at once…” With its gruelling, sludgy riffing and wild-eyed, prowling bass lines, Wreck it like Beckett gets the album off to a blistering start and the Helmet-meets-Rollins-Band stomp of Kakistocracy is no less potent. Given the band’s recent live shows, it should come as no surprise that Therapy? are on rare form, but even so, the one-two punch of the opening is unexpectedly brutal and adrenalin charged. The claustrophobic mood is dialled down a few notches for the hook-laden Callow, a track that tips a nod to the band’s Husker Du-worshipping past with its punk-infused riffing and plaintive cry of “I don’t need your medicine, I don’t need anything from you…” In contrast, the ferocious Expelled recalls the fire and fury of Nirvana’s In Utero, Andy Cairn’s gritty vocal delivered with a white-hot rage that is palpable. The first half of the album comes to a prompt halt with Success Success is survival, a tough-as-nails track with a surprisingly addictive melody despite the ever-present threat of Michael McKeegan’s prowling bass.
Kicking off the second half of the album, Save me from the ordinary strips the guitars form the verse, putting emphasis on the intense interplay between Michael and Neil Cooper (drums). Andy sounds strangely vulnerable as his vocals emerge, shorn of the firepower his guitar usually provides in support, and the song has a dynamic thrust that is nervy and compelling. Built around a simple, ascending punk riff, Crutch harks back to the alternative boom of the mid-90s, a nod, perhaps, to the band’s commercial peak and with a chorus to die for, but it’s the taut bass and paranoid vocal of I stand alone that will remain long in the memory. A perfect example of the band’s innate ability to convey a sense of string-taut nerves even whilst employing a memorable melody, I stand alone is an album highlight. Next up, the caustic Dumbdowncasts an unappreciative eye over modern society’s obsession with the lowest common denominator as Andy pours molten riff upon molten riff. The album concludes with No sunshine, a track that sees Andy draw the shades as he retreats into a darkened room far from help or humanity. A timely reminder of the challenges with which people suffering from mental illness have to contend on a daily basis, it is arguable that Andy has never written a more succinct lyric and his repeated cry of “no sunshine” is likely to resonate deeply with anyone who has ever suffered with depression.
Over the course of fifteen albums, Therapy? have refined their sound to a razor’s edge and, despite nods to their forebears, they stand alone with a unique sound that could never be mistaken for anyone else. Although the band have not attained the success they so richly deserve, they continue to make music on their own terms and, with such gritty, observational subject matter on hand, they have reached a career peak with Cleave. Highlights abound – the ferocious dumbdown, the dynamic save me from the ordinary and the crushing weight of wreck it like Beckett – and it seems likely that cleave will reign high on album of the year lists come December. Visceral and exciting yet also intelligent and evocative, cleave is a stark and honest look at a world slowly tearing itself apart and it makes for essential listening. 9
Therapy? ‘Going Somewhere’ tour dates
8-Nov Cardiff The Globe
9-Nov Southampton Engine Rooms
10-Nov Norwich Waterfront
11-Nov Nottingham Rescue Rooms
12-Nov Glasgow Garage
13-Nov Sheffield o2 Academy 2
15-Nov Stoke Sugarmill
16-Nov Manchester Gorilla
17-Nov Leeds Brudenell
19-Nov Brighton Concorde 2
20-Nov Bristol SWX
21-Nov Exeter Phoenix
22-Nov London O2 Islington Academy
23-Nov Birmingham Asylum
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