There’s no escaping it – these are times of austerity, and the grim shitstorm looming over the world’s economy has taken a huge dump on the music industry in recent years. It’s a tune we’ve been whistling to for far too long. Buy an album? No thanks, I’ll just purchase the songs I actually like on iTunes for 79p a pop.
Better still, I’ll just download the whole thing for free from a link that’s circulating on Twitter. Not the views of the Live4ever Ezine of course, but a mindset now adopted by many music lovers simply due to the evolvement of technology.
The record business is not the gravy train it once was. Which is why musicians have had to work a lot harder to pay the bills, and who better an example than Chicago based outfit, Filligar? Recording 8 albums in 11 years and slogging it on a grueling touring schedule which has taken them round the globe and back again should earn them the status as America’s hardest working band. There is no questioning their determination and effort, but what about the music they’re producing? New album ‘The Nerve‘ is a confident record that may just open some doors and gain them the recognition they deserve.
They say never work with children or animals, but above all else it’s not a good idea to work with family, particularly in the music business. Just ask the Davies brothers or the Gallaghers. Yet this is a classic car crash that Filligar have managed to swerve, a band comprised of brothers Peter Mathias on drums, guitarist and vocalist Johnny, Teddy on bass duties and long term friend Casey Gibson who plays the keys and provides backup vocals.
The subject of ‘Robbery (Shocking Love)‘ may be a lady who deserves a firm word or two but being held accountable for this composition is also worthy of a handshake. It has to be art over love on this occasion and it’s a fact that females have inspired some of the most memorable songs ever written. “She took my loose change from me but she’s pretty in my head” sing’s an impassioned Johnny to a stomping blues laden rhythm that opens the album with intent.
The superbly titled ‘Guilty Good Intentions‘ encompasses the sound of The Rolling Stones at the peak of their game with an infectious, menacing chorus. There’s an unexpected ending which winds down with some sombre gentle piano that picks up again for a rousing finale. Full of swagger and a stand out track on the album, but the finest moment on the record is saved for the next song, ‘Health‘. Large portions of the blues and a dash of strawberry fields in the shape of a tasty keyboard riff; this is one the finest songs to come out of America in the last year. Backed with a gritty bass line and huge chorus, this has ‘hit single’ written all over it.
Starting off with a handful of tracks that have a very focused, blues feel, the album then begins to spread its wings a bit and with mixed results. The band’s influences are given more air to breathe and it results in some moments of inspired creativity. The acoustic driven, gentle string picking of ‘Gray Area‘ and the sombre ‘La Revanche‘ are a departure from the previous tracks. The latter is a piano led interlude which shows off their tender side, but would have worked much better if it preceded ‘Early Riser’, as these two tracks seem made for each other. They veer into another direction with ‘Architect‘. “Keep it up, that stepping stone will come” sings Johnny to an upbeat tune that has shades of Wilco.
The album could be broken up into three chapters. The first being largely blues focused, the second whereby they embark on more creative ventures and the final entity of the record which on the whole is more energetic and in your face. ‘Wild Nature‘ sounds like something Bruce Springsteen should be belting out in a field to 100,000 people. The impressive dynamic of ‘Ticket Line‘s stop-start rhythm and the accelerating pace of ‘Mumbling Girl‘ is a direction the band should pursue further in the future.
‘New And Old‘ is the equivalent of Ryan Adams at his moodiest, backed with harmonica and embracing a downbeat atmosphere that breaks up this section of the album that has been racing toward the finish line, and what a climax it is with ‘Slow Night at the Red Sea‘. The record’s closer is a full throttle, country tinged beast that fully deserves its position as the final track. Crammed full of guitar licks, it may be but the unsung hero of the album is drummer Pete who really lays his skills on the table with this track; an incredible talent that the band no doubt cherish as much as the listener. It’s almost a shame he’s not put to better use on some of the other tracks.
Clocking in at just over 60 minutes of music, the record does feel a little sluggish at times. If they’d held a few tracks back this would be are much more succinct and accessible affair. That doesn’t mean there is more than enough quality here to devour for your musical pleasure. This is a grown up sounding record from a bunch of surprisingly young men, but it never gets too serious because above all else this is a band that likes to have fun with their music. The album lacks the big tunes that the likes of The Black Keys delivered on their last release, but is certainly not short on creativity and energy.
‘The Nerve’ is a fine record that demonstrates the exceptional musical abilities of a band that is on the brink of writing their breakthrough album.
(Matt Humphrey)
