The Wildhearts
Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts
Snakefarm
Out on March 7
With the subtlety of a brick Ginger Wildheart launches his lungs kicking and screaming into opener ‘Eventually’. Seconds later the guitars drop, the shout along starts, the hook happens, yer man holds a helluva melody, and the whole cycle repeats for six electrifying minutes. This is classic Wildhearts. It’s what we want to hear from them and it’s how rock and roll should sound. ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’ has read the room. Each song is like an album in itself. Tracks are stuffed with different elements which twist and turn, being emotive enough to bring you to tears (‘Hurt People Hurt People’), digging so deep at the low end they rattle fillings (‘Fire in the Cheap Seats’) or dredging up disgust (‘Maintain Radio Silence’). Oh, and then there’s track number five…
Ginger Wildheart has a way with words. In his lyrics he laments, he’s laugh out loud hilarious and he’s close to the bone. ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’ has everything. It. Is. So. Strong. Rock, scuzz, poppy (nsfw obvs) choruses. ‘Eventually’ even includes what can best be described as an instrumental soundscape. AN INSTRUMENTAL SOUNDSCAPE, DAMMIT!!! The sad, cleanly sung, commentary on ‘Troubadour Moon’ catches in your throat. That volatile vox of his becomes even more beautiful when stripped back to its gentle, spoken Geordie lilt (‘Scared of Glass’). Stunning ‘Failure is the Mother of Success’ closes the album in a musical and lyrical firework display of self-help, friendship, advice, emotion and experience. Hard times have helped form ‘Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts’, and Ginger has forged them into something pretty perfect.
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