It’s a cliché, but there comes a time in the life of many bands where they feel the need to cross over to the mainstream. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, resulting in some successful pop-rock fusions. It can, however, split audiences, with the “true fans” bemoaning a band that “sell out”.
Perhaps the release of ‘Opposites’, the
latest album from Scottish band Biffy Clyro, is an attempt to appease all of
their fans. Their 2009 album ‘Only
Revolutions’ marked a clear change of pace, producing a number of top ten
singles, a Mercury Prize nomination and newfound success, but the mainstream
appeal had its detractors. ‘Opposites’
is a double album, the two halves displaying (funnily enough) opposite styles –
the post-hardcore/alt-rock of their earlier material and the pop-rock of recent
times.
“Biffy are back”, is the initial
response. The first half of the album is
a return to the big, rock ballads of ‘Only Revolutions’ – simple guitar
patterns, heartfelt lyrics and added strings for extra epic appeal. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that
the band is constantly striving to repeat the success of Many of Horror. There are
some moments of intrigue that stand out: the spiky opening riff of Sounds Like Balloons and its harp
interjections; the driving rhythms of The
Joke’s On Us; the stabbing guitars of A
Girl And His Cat. Yet for every one of these tracks, there’s
a Black Chandelier, an Opposite or The Thaw. So often, the band
relies on big choruses that lack invention.
Biblical reflects its title –
it’s as epic a track as the band have ever produced but as it stands, in the context of the album,
it’s just another underwhelming ballad.
‘Opposites’ offers little that we haven’t heard before.
That is, until the second half which is, in
part, a return to the Biffy of old. The
opening of Stingin’ Belle immediately
brings a sense of urgency. There’s more
creativity on this half of the album, with shifting time signatures (Victory Over The Sun), new instruments
(the horns of Spanish Radio, the
bagpipes of Stingin’ Belle) and the
generally more dissonant tone. There are
still moments of pure pop though – from the lighthearted pop-rock of Pocket, to Skylight whose synth lines and trudging electro beats sound more
like Hurts.
‘Opposites’ is therefore a fairly mixed bag
of tracks that don’t quite hang together – the first half too safe, the second
half disorientating and experimental. Can the band really appease all of their
fans? The Biffy of the future deserves
another shot, if they can fuse together more convincingly their differing
styles. But the Biffy of the present has
bitten off more than they can chew.
3/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Sounds Like Balloons
* Modern Magic Formula
* Woo Woo
Listen: 'Opposites' is available now.
