Pioneers of punk deliver a Damned fine effort
THE DAMNED pride themselves on being ‘the greatest surviving British punk band’, and it’s a claim that stands up well.
They were among the leading lights of the spiky-haired Class of 1976, and they have comfortably outlived their peers the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
With singer Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible the only founder members still on board, they are a little battle-scarred these days, but also enjoying a fresh lease of life.
Two years ago, they marked their 40th anniversary by playing the Royal Albert hall, and their first new album in ten years bristles with a sense of purpose.
The Damned always allied their talent to their impressive willpower. They were the first UK punks to make a single, the first to release an album and the first to tour the States.
That determination surfaces again here: evil Spirits was financed by a crowd-funding campaign that enabled them to fly to New York and record with Tony Visconti.
Visconti, 73, does an excellent job. Vanian wanted to collaborate with him after hearing David Bowie’s Blackstar, which Visconti produced, and the pairing is inspired.
Recorded on vintage equipment, evil Spirits lacks the rawness of old, but it streamlines The Damned’s frenetic edges with subtler nuances.
There are nods aplenty to Sixties pop and Seventies glam. Standing On The edge Of Tomorrow is heavy with reverb, with Vanian’s voice now a mature croon rather than a youthful snarl, and the title track is a lively ensemble piece, with keyboardist Monty Oxymoron broadening a sound that encompasses space-age pop, music hall, psychedelia and gothic rock.
They still refuse to take themselves too seriously. There are songs that tackle fake news and environmental horror, but the overall mood is optimistic. Mindful of their past without being nostalgic, they remain a musical institution to be treasured.
ISAAC GRACIE found his voice as a cassock-clad member of ealing Abbey Choir. he eventually became head chorister and only left his fellow singers after his voice broke.
That voice is still a thing of wonder, though, and it dominates his debut album. The Londoner, 23, began his pop career by posting scrappy, lo-fi demos online.
But, rather than remain a solitary singer- songwriter, he was soon fronting a band, and this widescreen debut is that of a fullyformed new talent. Its songs are soul- searching and reflective, informed by the singer’s split from a long-term girlfriend and his own hopes and fears.
his romantic strife is dealt with on recent single The Death Of You & I, while Terrified — ‘I’m terrified that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this’ — examines his anxieties on a Coldplay-like ballad.
There are traces of Gracie’s choral training in his mastery of range and expression on Reverie.
For a singer who struggles with the demands of the music business, he’s made a stunning start. ‘They want integrity, truth and honesty, but they also want a big old smash hit,’ he says.
With his candid words and catchy tunes, he might just be able to provide all of the above.