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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
After Everything Now This does not sound like the work of a 22-year-old band. Rather, The Church remain possessed of a rare focus. Their songs, steeped in the sweet melodies and liberated sensibilities of the 1960s, are built up, layer upon layer, in the best tradition of the 1980s. They're markedly literate, both musically and lyrically--it's amazing they never signed to 4AD.
The opening "Numbers" sets out their stall immediately. Over a dense, bassy underlay recalling Joy Division, a clear vocal leads to a pained, listed chorus, as more and more chiming guitars and soft voices appear, gradually building to a crescendo. This is followed by the title track, a kind of deeper, more soulful Prefab Sprout, then the oceanic sweep of "The Awful Ache". Later comes "Reprieve", a touching, gothic mood-piece mutating into yearning 1960s garage-rock, then the chiming freeform atmospherics of "Night Friends". The album ends with the hypnotic "Invisible", itself a lyrical triumph, a slow tide of beautiful, hazy images. All in all, another masterful collection from one of the world's most accomplished bands. --Dominic Wills
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album is so good it's scary. It has infiltrated my soul and haunts my daily existence. I wake up with a different song from AENT dancing in my head every morning, like sleep hypnosis it buries deeper without me having to play the CD. Its not like I listen to it repetitively either, the album is just so sticky. It deploys an instant accessibility unseen since Starfish yet maintains the driving, acquired darkness so well defined in Priest = Aura.
From the vacuum that is the opening track, one loses sense of being in the outside absurd reality, wilfully surrendering to a better place constructed of euphonious strums and anodyne vocals. A journey entails across a landscape of playful strings in the deceptively blissful 'The awful ache' and Marty Wilson Piper encourages us seamlessly over sharper ground singing 'Chromium'. The Church lead you on a journey both strange and comforting, strikingly familiar, like a past life or parallel one. And leave you at the end lost, between worlds but with a knowledge that you have found something remarkable. Be warned, this album will take hold of you, and you won't want it to let go.
I confess, my following of the Church had grown weak over the past few years and after everything now this, now I yearn for more once more.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The 1st thing which strikes me about the album is that all the songs are more or less the same pace - and this really works as the album flows beautifully. The second thing is Steve's voice, it sounds much better, more emotive, more convincing than ever before. 3rd thing is Tim Powles production values have improved a lot (apart from Chromium where the vocals and layering gets lost in the mix somehow. Numbers - good powerful starter... After Everything - This grows and grows and is just plain beautiful - it's the share simplicity but fluidness which drives it along. The Awful Ache - My favourite, like After Everything this just flows and ebbs wonderfully and Steves voice is heavenly - sad but beautiful. Song for the asking - a bit more poppy but nice. Chromium - the rocker, Marty sings, excellent song but the mix lets it down (muddy!) - remix for a top 10 single?? Radiance - I love the thought provoking lyrics in this one ("...and the icons in the church...") - like the beatlesesque ending. Reprieve - a complex track, a little too familiar for the church and even floydish near the end, but some nice giddy guitar and it's "peaceful like a budda". Night Friends - nice piano to start and quite laid back - one for late at night?? Seen It Coming - nice guitar on this one - I've been there!!! Invisible - just incredible, it's the parallel of tranquility from the last album - on this song they sound very different!!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When asked to describe the Church, it's hard to answer as each album is different, new elements emerge, older ones evolve, every time it's a different blend yet always recognisable as the finest guitar band on the planet.For this album They have given their 'pretty' luscious side a great prominence yet manage to marry it with an effortless intensifying dynamic shift, both of these variables have been present before but here they're blended better than ever before. Opener "Numbers", a single abroad, has an intensity reminiscent of "Ripple" from 92's "Priest = Aura" album, they follow it with a total contrast in "After Everything" ...just sublime, close your eyes and it will take you somewhere else - gorgeous guitar and vocal melodies wrapped in a haze of atmospherics - just awesome. Marty Willson-Piper contributes a lead vocal on the slippery yet spikey rocker "Chromium", very direct and more up-tempo than the previous tracks. "Radiance" with it's majestic guitar and vocal melody that just climbs and reaches upwards with chilling intensity is a haunting absorbing number whilst "Seen It Coming" is surely a contender for a second single, with it's anthemic uplifting chorus - a real highlight. "Night Friends" is calmer with piano and a slow tempo it's full of atmosphere and gives Steve Kilbeys soft vocal prominence as on the closing track "Invisible".
They have over 20 years experience behind them and yes there are reference points to previous albums but it's fused in a new fresh sound which offers the best of all worlds. It won't be looked back on as the album where the Church were 'pretty' but not 'heavy' or 'dreamy' and not 'spikey' there's a bit of every classic style but without being cliched or contrived. They are accessible to first timers - "Seen It Coming" and "Numbers" would sit comfortabley on U2, Oasis or anybody elses albums and would pleasantly surprise any fan of rock or indie music, elsewhere the tracks such as "After Everything" and "Radiance" have a depth that is so rewarding you'll wonder how you ever missed their previous albums. Spread the word, this is a very special album by a very special band, their twin guitars, melodic bass, sing-speak vocals and imaginative percussion have never gelled so smoothly as this.
They have over 20 years experience behind them and yes there are reference points to previous albums but it's fused in a new fresh sound which offers the best of all worlds. It won't be looked back on as the album where the Church were 'pretty' but not 'heavy' or 'dreamy' and not 'spikey' there's a bit of every classic style but without being cliched or contrived. They are accessible to first timers - "Seen It Coming" and "Numbers" would sit comfortabley on U2, Oasis or anybody elses albums and would pleasantly surprise any fan of rock or indie music, elsewhere the tracks such as "After Everything" and "Radiance" have a depth that is so rewarding you'll wonder how you ever missed their previous albums. Spread the word, this is a very special album by a very special band, their twin guitars, melodic bass, sing-speak vocals and imaginative percussion have never gelled so smoothly as this.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Past their Heyday?
The Church have been capable of some great moments; The Blurred Crusade, Heyday and Priest=Aura are albums that should all have been true classics had the Church gained the profile... Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2004 by "replay68"
Something has fallen from the Pleroma...
After Everything, Now This.
Some of the best science (speculative) fiction comes in the form of recorded popular music. Not a lot of people realise this. Read more
Some of the best science (speculative) fiction comes in the form of recorded popular music. Not a lot of people realise this. Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2002
The most satisfying album by THE CHURCH since STARFISH
Amazing. Elegant. Atmospheric. Grab the headphones. Yes, this is everything and more that the fan (or even the uncoverted) could expect, want or need from our fabulous four. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2002 by Dubash
The Church return with a truly magical new album
1st thing which strikes me about the album is that all the songs are more or less the same pace - and this really works as the album flows beautifully. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2002 by Nigel Nudds
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