Any band with a legacy like the Bunnymen will always face a certain level of anticipation surrounding whether they can continue to match the visionary, genre-defying artistry in which they’ve conjured over the decades. Yet their latest eleven track album unravels introspective and existential themes that feel relevant to the time, explored through McCulloch’s vulnerable lyricism.
Iconic English rock band, Echo & The Bunnymen, have just released their 13th album, Apples for Isaac via BMG. This marks the groups’ first collection of new material since Meteorites in 2014.
Instrumentally, the album remains true to their classic union of soulful energy amongst the darkness of post-punk and psychedelic influences.
The beginning track, Take Me By The Hand, leads with a powerful, driving guitar hook instantly spiralling the listener into the album. Jumping back and forth between the opening guitar riff and the lively, dancey energy injected by McCulloch’s vocals, this variation makes for an excellent leading track and certainly grabs the listener ‘by the hand’ into the world of Echo & The Bunnymen. Punchy sounds and dance-floor ready energy continues into Can’t Be Sold, before the album drifts into a more sensitive state.
Brussels is Haunted blends themes of post-war European collective memory and personal nostalgia. Formed in 1978, the band’s gigs in Brussels would have been among their earlier international shows, marking this track as a fusion of their own remembrance of the city and the echoes of real history and political memory. This number certainly delivers a haunting soundscape and its sentimental reflection of the past feels like an ode to the band’s earlier days.
An Unstoppable Force takes on a similar thoughtful and emotional path in the latter half of the album. ‘One of these days, I know I’ll lose the will for the thrill of the chase’ touches upon the difficulty of confronting our art and life’s purpose. Its softer, more subtle instrumentals force a greater reflection directly onto McCulloch’s lyricism, making for an especially moving track.
Throughout Apples for Isaac, the soundscape is diverse, spanning from the use of strings in I’ll Be Your Sunshine to an integration of saxophone instrumentals in Lab Rats Ran. This generates exceptional layers to the sound of the album and reinforces the genre-defying disposition of Echo & The Bunnymen.
The final track, We Prayed in the Dark, is a satisfying musical conclusion to the band’s newest album. The gradual fade-out felt like a transition back to reality from the gritty, raw world created throughout the eleven tracks.
Apples for Isaac succeeds in delivering a timeless sound. It effectively tackles themes of nostalgia and existentialism in a modern world supported by the distinctive blend of post-punk allure, psychedelic rock, dance and new-wave elements that Echo & The Bunnymen have developed since their formation in 1978.
