Let’s be honest. There’s not much in the way of positivity at the moment. In the news, in the papers; not many stories which cause a smile to play across your face. The music industry isn’t much better. Decline in sales, no-one’s going to gigs, bands can’t get their songs heard – it’s enough to make even Ken Dodd lock himself in a darkened room and wonder what the point of it all is. Thank goodness then for The Boxer Rebellion. Thank goodness for a bit of inspiration.
In 2005, after experiencing issues with their label and ultimately departing from Poptones, their first home, you could have forgiven The Boxer Rebellion for skulking away, heads bowed, intent on building futures elsewhere. Not a bit of it, no feeling sorry for yourself round these parts. Rather than looking upon the new situation as isolation, they instead saw it as independence. With destiny in their own hands, The Boxer Rebellion set about creating a self-financed, self-produced record. In 2009, still unsigned, they emerged with second LP ‘Union’. The rest is history.
In all the ‘unsigned band thwacks Kings of Leon’ headlines, it was easy to forget that the real success of ‘Union’ was simply that it was a damn good album. An album which, despite the setbacks which could’ve curtailed a lesser outfit, demonstrated a group that had complete faith in their material, and their abilities as songwriters. Its sonic ease and clarity of production was just a joy to behold. The accolades were numerous, and the achievements unquestioned.
So now, The Boxer Rebellion have something else to contend with: expectation. It’s a different pressure, but no less daunting. With the headlines of ‘Union’ now a foot-note, more than ever the music is what really counts.
Just four minutes in, with opener ‘No Harm’, it is made immediately clear the crispness which played such a major part in ‘Union’ hasn’t been lost by handing over the production reigns to Ethan Johns, and the slow-build of drums, bass and keys, all individually introduced, and all complemented superbly by frontman Nathan Nicholson, melt through the speakers as effortlessly as ever. From that moment on, ‘The Cold Still’ brims with confidence – pressure just isn’t something which registers with The Boxer Rebellion.
After the uncomplicated, but perfect first single ‘Step Out Of The Car’, Nicholson’s soaring vocals once again take centre stage on ‘Locked In The Basement’, elevating a glorious melody to something bigger, to something yearning for stadium-sized airings. ‘Caught By The Light’, like a lost mid-80s demo, shows those period’s overblown monsters how it should be done; the production working hard to keep the track firmly on a leash, allowing an ebb and flow which never gets lost in pomp, and is all the better for it.
On ‘Both Sides Are Even’, The Boxer Rebellion arrive at what might just be the zenith of the expertly crafted sound they honed on ‘Union’ and continue on ‘The Cold Still’. If every band has a signature tune, a point which will forever capture a set of musicians nailing exactly what makes them tick, then ‘Both Sides Are Even’ is The Boxer Rebellion’s. An all too rare moment when something arrives with ‘classic’ stamped all over it, the track is five minutes of searing rock, lifting both the album beyond its predecessors, and the listener to their feet.
‘The Runner‘ has a tough act to follow, but picks up the pace just when needed, offering a welcome sing-a-long quality, while ‘Doubt’ closes the record as if driving on a long, dark road after a particularly eventful journey. The acoustic-led vibe and haunting guitar breaks leading to a gentle, yet oddly intense conclusion. Right, turn the engine off, kill the lights, and think about where we’ve just been.
When listening to ‘The Cold Still’ that word ‘inspiration’ comes to mind time and time again. Theirs is an inspiring story, this an inspirational album. Like all great bands of their time, The Boxer Rebellion are providing that all too rare emotion for a generation that appears to be increasingly in dire need of it. The feeling that this is a band with the world at their feet is inescapable. Now go forth and tell that world your story, it is crying out to hear it.
(Dave Smith)
