Feature written for Tempus Mag UK
For those who categorise their music taste as ‘00’s Indie Rock’ then the name Maxïmo Park will almost definitely be sitting in your playlist alongside Vampire Weekend and Phoenix. Those instantly recognisable guitar riffs and Geordie accents are bound to set off an intense sense of nostalgia through the likes of tracks such as Apply Some Pressure and Our Velocity. Good news if you’re feeling a bit evocative now, Maxïmo Park are back with their first album together in almost four years “Nature Always Wins”, and they’re sitting at number one in the Official UK Albums Chart, not so indie anymore ey?
The new record is strikingly brilliant, maintaining their definitive guitar led tracks with an injection of eighties synth combined with a perfect scoop of distortion. Let’s say it’s a finely polished 20’s version of “Our Earthly Pleasures” with a little pinch of inspiration from Arcade Fire’s 2017 album “Everything Now”.
The album has received praise and even endorsement through Stuart Braithwaite, frontman of Scottish rock band Mogwai, who were the owners of the UK’s number one album last week. Whilst Tim Burgess conducted his usual Twitter Listening Party, this episode being with Maxïmo Park, Braithwaite came to the forefront with the hashtag #MaximoPark4Number1. A heart-warming gesture which showcases the camaraderie between musicians as they both battle the unprecedented forces of both the pandemic and Brexit. BBC Radio 1’s Greg James also paid tribute to the band who have “comforted and inspired” him from the beginning of his radio career as he wholeheartedly remarks “This new album has come along at a time when we’re all feeling totally all over the place… I love them more than ever.”.
Despite getting the go ahead for gigs last week, unfortunately, COVID-19 is still in full swing, therefore Maxïmo Park play a live streamed show this Saturday 6th March at 8:30pm GMT. Having said that, the band have announced out-store shows in Kingston and Leeds with Banquet Records and Crash Records respectively, both shows will include songs from “Nature Always Wins” as well as a front to back performance of “Our Earthly Pleasures” to thank fans for their continued support.
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