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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best Therapy? album in ten years. , 25 Mar 2009
That Therapy? were ever big is a bit of an anomoly. 15 years since they were on the cusp of world domination, the Irish trio battle determindedly on. Enjoying the struggle. It now seems odd that their template : dense military, tribal percussion, subterranean bass, buzzsaw guitars and barked, furious vocals, ever touched the public heart. In many ways, when they were huge, it was the wrong way round. If anything, Therapys? spiritual home was more akin to Black Flag, Big Black, and the abrasive, live Joy Division tapes. A roar of anger against a cruel, unthinking world.
The new Therapy? worldview is more succinct. No longer headlining huge rooms across Europe, the cottage industry T? do things with a furious efficiency. Born through necessity, the mother of invention, this band hit the stopwatch and compress years of experience and songwriting in a frantic race to the end of their studio time. The compulsion of this music - not made through habit or to fund luxury jets but through artistic requirement ; a world where it is harder not to play music than it is to live the life ; where this music exists because it must, not because it wants, makes "Crooked Timber" a keen listen. The music is on a leash and reaching for escape. It opens with the pummelling "The Head That Tried To Strangle Itself", and just keeps tunneling through the Earth to the core.
There are no singles on this album. Just a set of well-crafted, compelling songs designed for ears that need to feel guitars screaming in their ear. ""Exiles" sounds like the best Joy Division song you've never heard. And after that, there is "Sonambulist" which takes millionaire Irish rock stars down a peg, even if it doesn't demonstrate so obviously. Album highlight through is "Magic Mountain" - 10 minutes of furious prog-metal riffage that sounds like Anvils being thrown from God onto the devout. "Crooked Timber" is a fine record. And Therapy? Need you as much as you need Therapy. Recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sitting on the clouds, throwing fire down below., 5 April 2009
That's how I would describe this Therapy? album. I cannot think of a band with more sides to them than this 3-piece. Every album has been different and this one is no exception.
Following the *quite dire* One Cure, this album does everything opposite to the last one. There are no singles. There is a LOT of experimental stuff and there's good production.
The last time i remember them doing such an album was 'Suicide Pact...' - a genius album.
This album doesn't quite hit those heights but my, isn't it loverly? There's such depth from beginning to end. I found the album hitting it's stride mid-way, with 'exile' 'crooked timber' and 'I told you' proving to be the best songs on the album. Each features a beautiful (on a therapy? album??) subtle melody, carefully rammed down your throat with crunchy guitars and techno drumming. Therapy? have gone for a deep, atmospheric feel this time. The production deserves a credit here - if it hadn't been so well mixed and edited, this could have come sounding awful. But it didn't and I know tonight i won't sleep, grinding my teeth in frustration. Therapy? have quite simply done what they do best - create an album that sounds nothing like the current musical taste of the moment.
Simply beautiful.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An old beginning and a very good new record!, 1 April 2009
This release is, to me, the best music they have done for years! Maybe I'm not really qualified to analyse T? in any greater detail, but "Crooked Timber" really surprised me in a very good way! This is how I prefer Therapy? to sound: heavy, raw, yet melodic, and lyrics filled with dark humour and wit. Good stuff!!! And an approving nod to the producer, Andy Gill, is probably in place too...
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