By Craig Strachan
‘Tallulah’ is out on the 9th August 2019. Put it in your calendars!
Craig’s rating: 3.5/5
The Welsh rock band Feeder have released their 10 th studio Album Tallulah this month and their first
studio effort since the release of All Bright Electric in 2016. Originally from Newport, this effort has
been described by vocalist Grant Nicholas as a ÔÇ£classic Feeder recordÔÇØ. Perhaps riding on a new
generation of fans gained by the success of their previous studio album and 2017ÔÇÖs Best of album,
the band has returned to the quintessential post-grunge rock that gained them success with 2001ÔÇÖs
Echo Park.
The vintage Feeder is employed right from the start of this album too. Opening track ÔÇ£YouthÔÇØ
is a classic Rock ÔÇÿnÔÇÖ Roll opener. ItÔÇÖs fast paced and the beat by Karl Brazil is relentless and feels as if
the band are reliving their finest days through this song. Lyrically this is mirrored with Nicholas
proclaiming that he wishes ÔÇ£we were still youngÔÇØ and imagines the characters of the song as ÔÇ£lovers
on the run/ California here we comeÔÇØ on some impromptu road trip.
The same call-back ÔÇÿFeederÔÇÖ┬ásound plays in the lead single ÔÇ£Fear of flyingÔÇØ and track five ÔÇ£RodeoÔÇØ. The former has been described┬áby Nicholas as a song about the ÔÇ£fear of the bubble burstingÔÇØ and gaining success in the digital age. Lyrically, this song also hits on some dark themes like ageing and mortality (ÔÇ£Why canÔÇÖt we grow old┬ánaturallyÔÇØ). Although the songÔÇÖs narrative is fictional this is a theme that is present throughout the┬ámajority of this album. ÔÇ£RodeoÔÇØ probably addresses these themes the most introspectively whilst┬áremaining a classic rock song, at one point asking the listener ÔÇ£Do you ever feel like letting go?ÔÇØ.
As much as ÔÇ£YouthÔÇØ is a fast song about looking back on being a teenager, the proceeding
track ÔÇ£Big Sky BlueÔÇØ foils this. The song is a lot slower and looks uncertainly to the future. It is also
the closest the Welsh rockers come to anthemic on this album. Unfortunately, they attempt to
achieve this status and fail to do so on several occasions which becomes this recordÔÇÖs downfall.┬áTallulahÔÇÖs 12 tracks are littered with mid-tempo unoriginal rock songs that end up coming across as┬áclich├®. These include Shapes and Sounds, Guillotine, Kite, Windmill and even track 3 Daily Habit.┬áThey all detail some form of coming to grips with age or reflection on life and do offer some variance┬áin pace or structure but none in a way that hasnÔÇÖt been heard many times before.
However, there is some variety to be found in this album. The title track has a slightly more
delicate texture and when it does reach its climaxes some more modern digital effects appear rather
than the standard wall of guitars. Perhaps the most delicate track of them all is the closer which is an
acoustic number that fingerpicks the most emotionally raw account of someone telling the listener
to appreciate their life as they are now living out their ÔÇ£lonely hollow daysÔÇØ. Finally, Kyoto is the
darkest and most sinister track on this LP, centred around an enthralling riff of focussed chaos that
leaves you wondering who Nicholas has made his victim. These tracks help make this album an
interesting and emotional listen if not entirely exciting and original.
Tracklist:
- ÔÇÿYouthÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿBlue Sky HabitÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿDaily HabitÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿFear Of FlyingÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿRodeoÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿTallulahÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿShapes And SoundsÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿGuillotineÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿKyotoÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿKiteÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿWindmillÔÇÖ
- ÔÇÿLonely Hollow DaysÔÇÖ
Tour Dates:
November
1st – Portsmouth, Pyramids
2nd – Exeter, Great Hal
4th – Oxford, O2 Academy
5th – Norwich, UEA
7th – Leeds, Beckett University
8th – Cardiff, Great Hall
10th – Newcastle, O2 Academy
11th – Birmingham, O2 Institute
13th – Inverness, Ironworks
14th – Glasgow, Barrowland
16th – Manchester, Albert Hall
17th – Manchester, Albert Hall
19th – Lincoln, Engine Room
20th – Nottingham, Rock City
22nd – London, Roundhouse
23rd – London, Roundhouse
MAY
18th – Lancaster, Highest Point Festival
25th – Falkirk, Vibrations Festival (headliners)
JUNE
1st – County Down, Harmony Festival (headliners)
JULY
28th – Bude, Leopallooza
AUGUST
11th – Enniskillen, Shoreline Festival