After seven albums, a career-spanning several decades, and lineup changes (only three original members remain),
Los Campesinos!
have never sounded so assuredly like themselves, which is saying something, because their output has consistently carved a path through twee indie emo to great effect. It's no coincidence that this is their first record to drop the use of "Campesinos!" as a group-wide surname, and it's their first independently released record. After getting a little lost in the sauce of their previous album,
Sick Scenes
, they have clearly used the seven-year gap to redefine who they are and have landed back at "defiant emo upstarts" with an ear for a catchy melody.
It's endlessly impressive that they manage to rein in their chaotic sound to make something cohesive. With so much input into their arrangements, it's easy to imagine that a lot of fine tuning goes into songwriting and production, but it often feels effortless. In particular, lead vocalist
Gareth
always finds space to coil his lyrics around a song, managing to jump between metaphors at blinding speed without sacrificing the heartache, and occasional vitriol, that defines his outlook on life.
The relentlessness of "Long Throes" stands out as a clear indictment of capitalist Britain, leaving little room for interpretation when
espouses "Union Flag is waving while the building's burning" [sic]. Alongside a not-so-subtle jab at
Idles
, "The punks on the playlist are crooning for kindness," it marks the track as their most straightforward effort, a despair-tinged call to arms. It's
unleashed.
It may have taken years in the oven, but
All Hell
stands as one of their most consistent albums while simultaneously being bolder and more unrestrained than usual. Although they have been defined by their idiosyncrasies, their core philosophy still has legs, proving that there is value in doing things differently and sticking to your guns. ~ Liam Martin