The Maccabees are a band cultivated for the heart, not the mind. Sincerity cannot be over thought, which is why the simple and self-made blend of post-punk and life-affirmation on their debut back in 2007 took the UK by storm.
Since then, the Brighton quintet harnessed a push-and-pull between time and space for their 2012 album, Given To The Wild, trading razor hooks for panoramic opuses. Marks To Prove It reigns in this outwardly expanding sounds of GTTW in exchange for tighter focus and narrowed peripheries.
The lead single, ‘Marks to Prove It’, is a raucous onslaught of soaring tremolo guitars, explosive drumming and virally infectious choruses. However, as a teaser track for the overall sound of the record, consider it false advertising.
For the die-head ‘Bees fans, Marks will not disappoint, following as a continuation and extension of the heart-swelling songwriting from frontman Orlando Weeks. Songs like ‘Ribbon Road’ still glimmer with the original probity and jaunt that ‘Latchmere’ endeared us with all the years ago, despite their polished and grandiose stature.
Unfortunately, MTPI suffers with an issue of over-compression. On tracks like ‘Kamakura’ and ‘Spit It Out’, soothing beginnings dazzle with gorgeous harmonies and delicate phrases which grow into dramatic climaxes that will undoubtedly slaughter at the live shows. However, these dilations are often saturated by weighty mixing that dull incendiary guitar lines and wild drum work. This is a criminal detriment on tracks like ‘River Song’ which feature irresistibly cool tenor sax and wider instrumentation that lose fidelity to a crowded mix.
At it’s core, MTPI showcases some of the most immersive songwriting the band have ever put out. Between Hugo White taking vocal duties on piano ballad ‘Silence’, and the choral underlay on finale ‘Dawn Chorus’, Marks To Prove It could have been the album of their careers, if only they’d give the songs some room to breathe.
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