While not yet at the ‘elder states-people’ stage of the game, Maximo Park are surely by now in ‘veteran’ territory, with seven albums and fifteen years under their belt.
The latest album, Nature Always Wins, was regarded as one of their stronger efforts and as such a ‘return to form’ which, as anyone who has been paying attention to their career will know, is questionable – their consistency is their greatest asset.
On both record and live, they have evolved at their own pace. To those less informed, it can appear as the same old schtick, whereas it’s in fact been a calculated effort to add textures and broaden the sound, while at the same time not alienating their loyal fanbase. As with everything to do with Maximo Park, the approach to their evolution combines intelligence and heart effectively.
Amidst the sound of birdsong the band, bar singer Paul Smith, take to the stage and commence playing All Of Me before the frontman swaggers onstage with mischief and madness in his eyes.
All attired in colour coordinated outfits with Smith as the ringmaster (until he removes his thick coat to reveal a signature short-sleeved shirt), the group are as watertight as ever, which is fortunate as the mini-explosions of indie-pop that comprises much of the set demand so.
Keyboardist Jemma Freese (who Smith refers to as a newbie, perhaps indicating she’s now a permanent member) does her best to steal the limelight from Smith on his left side. Freese is a ball of energy, never standing still and uncannily capturing Smith’s backing vocals on record. At points it sounds like his vocals are double-tracked, so faithfully does she mimic his original recordings.
But Smith has mastered his role and it takes a brave person to even attempt to wrestle the limelight from him. As garrulous as ever, he playfully interacts with the crowd (even singing a brief segment of deep cut History Books on request) while looking moved and even overawed to their reactions to some of the older material, such as Books From Boxes and Questing, Not Coasting.
The wrought emotion of the latter undoubtedly has some effect (Smith reveals he recently had COVID) while the former is as melancholically upsetting as it was 14 years ago. Smith has something to say between every song, which appears spontaneous but when he segues his rapport (which may seem tenuous) to introduce the next track, his band-mates are ready at the drop of a hat.
With such a vast catalogue to draw from, the gig is a finely-crafted balance of giving the audience what they want while also satisfying themselves and giving the new album the exposure it deserves.
The pattern of alternating between ‘new’ song and old song is almost entirely maintained throughout, keeping the whole set fresh. The spiral staircase chorus of Postcards Of A Painting precedes the new wave electro of Baby Sleep, and so on.
Given Nature Always Wins hit number 2 in the album charts earlier in the year (a fact for which Smith thanks the audience) it’s an approach that’s justified, with 9 tracks performed.
The swaying winsomeness of Placeholder is a highlight, as is Child Of The Flatlands, with its undercurrent of repressed emotions and Jarvis Cocker-like observational lyrics. Meanwhile, the yearning Versions Of You proves that they haven’t lost an inch when it comes to the powerful but emotional side of their oeuvre.
It’s not all greatest hits when it comes to the older material either. Her Name Was Audre and The Hero, album tracks from Too Much Information and Risk To Exist respectively, make the cut instead of the likes of Going Missing or Graffiti.
Best of all is the bombastic blast of indie rock that is The National Health, from the 2012 album of the same name. Despite the obvious temptation, Smith doesn’t make reference to how ahead of its time was (‘England is sick and I’m a casualty/We generalise and we live inside, I feel we’re heading for a catastrophe’) although its inclusion confirms it.
The set ends on Apply Some Pressure and, with the line ‘write a review, well how objective can I be?’ they have already gazumped your correspondent. They’re just that smart.
Fortunately, it’s not a matter of opinion; objectively Maximo Park were, and are, consistently great.
