British Sea Power – Machineries Of Joy

It seems insane to think British Sea Power’s debut ‘The Decline In British Sea Power’ was released ten years ago. A decade on, they have released their 5^th studio album: ‘Machineries Of Joy’. The punkier numbers have mellowed somewhat but their beauty and grandeur remain large on an album which celebrates the classic BSP sound fans have come to know and love.

However, ‘Hail Holy Queen’ is one of the few tracks which deviate from the classic BSP sound this album generates. The strings will drift you out to sea without a care in the world; meanwhile Hamilton’s vocals are gloriously sweet and reminiscent of Mercury Rev’s David Barker.

But back to basiscs: ‘Loving Animals’ takes BSP’s love of Bowie to his electro/Berlin phase. What is fantastic about this song reflects what is great about this entire album. You can hear BSP’s influences from start to finish but at no point is any track a pastiche or parody. The final minute exemplifies this with the trippy Neu-esque guitars which are accompanied by vocals worth of Mark E Smith at his insatiable best.

Quite often with British Sea Power records one or two numbers are up-tempo punk rock anthems and mark themselves out as instant classics. On ‘Machineries Of Joy’ however everything is far more tranquil. ‘When You Need It Most’ is a sumptuous ode to Richard Hawley’s ‘Coles Corner’ material and the great Walker Brothers singles of the late 60s. ‘A Light Descending Above’ recalls the rock prowess of ‘Open The Door’ but with a sombre Robert Wyatt circa ‘Shipbuilding’ approach.

Ultimately this is an album for the dedicated British Sea Power fans out there. It is as though the lads have hit the studio with the idea: ‘let’s make a British Sea Power record’. There’s no messing around with new formulas here, but it is not a step back by any means. The quality of every track - we repeat, every track - is so high it is impossible for it to be anything other than a triumph.

Finally, what really excites TT about this is album is the feeling that the next one will be like witnessing a fully charged BSP going into a glorious battle, armed only with electric guitars and massive amps.