Let It Come Down [Special Edition]

A very definite sequel to 1997's fabulous Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space rather than a brave new dawn, Let It All Come Down finds Pierce dropping the indie ballast--his band, who went on to form the mediocre Lupine Howl--and embellishing on the orchestral trappings of the Live at The Royal Albert Hall LP with a 100-piece choir and a selection of nobly beautiful gospel songs. It's tempting to see each new Spiritualized album as the latest instalment of "The Continuing Narcotic Adventures of Jason Pierce", but as ever, the man that is Spiritualized remains tight-lipped about the themes--heartbreak, redemption, the existence of a Merciful God and the importance of a well-stocked medicine cabinet--that dominate his work. He hasn't cleaned up his act, though: "The Straight and Narrow" is an elegiac hymn to addiction with Pierce singing "The trouble with the straight and the narrow is that it's so thin / I keep sliding off to the side". It's the hell-for-leather harmonica squeal of "Twelve Steps", though, that proves he's still having fun: "The only time I'm drink and drug free / Is when I don't have to pay for what I need," drawls Pierce, bright-eyed at the teetering peak of his chemical rollercoaster. Stay around for the ride. --Louis Pattison

The image for this special edition of "Let It Come Down" is sculpted in bas-relief meaning it is sunk into cover, but appears to the eye as 3D

SPIRITUALIZED Let It Come Down (2001 UK limited edition 11-track CD album presented in oversized concave plastic 3-D moulded mask pack!)