Album Review: Courteeners - More. Again. Forever.
If any new indie acts want to learn a thing or two about longevity and cultivating a die-hard audience in the modern climate, then the Courteeners are THE template to follow. The band from Middleton arrived towards the end of the mid 2000s indie surge and as such never really had a ‘pop’ moment.
While this could have been a disappointment at the time, almost 15 years later they may well see this as a blessing in disguise. They have, intentionally or not, managed to tread the line between being the underdogs and the indie superstars.
With their new album ‘More. Again. Forever’ they adapt and evolve with the new musical landscape, creating a project that is their most focused, experimental and exhilarating.
The heavy, distorted riff in opening track ‘Heart Attack’ immediately demonstrates a new-found confidence in the band’s approach. The track gives the album an instant sense of breathless intensity, which is only increased when followed by the infectious ‘Heavy Jacket’.
After this bombastic opening, the project slows down with tracks like ‘Better Man’ and ‘Hanging Off Your Cloud’. These slower moments allow Liam Fray’s ever-maturing songwriting to really shine, as he touches on self-doubt, anxiety and relationships without ever straying into cliché. Perhaps the highlight of ‘More. Again. Forever’ comes in the project’s final third, with the ridiculously brilliant indie-house fusion of ‘Previous Parties’ again demonstrating the growth of the band.
These moments of experimentation are the definite high-points on the album, as the band are able to incorporate new stylistic elements without sacrificing their fundamental aesthetic. While their last album ‘Mapping the Rendezvous’ arguably suffered from a sense of creative stagnation, the new project is bursting with ideas and energy.
‘More. Again. Forever’ is undountedly the Courteeners most concise and confident project, with the band delivering an album that once again proves they are capable of surpassing all expectations.