Constantines – Kensington Heights[Arts & Crafts; 28/04/2008]
The Constantines brim with solidarity and this has been the case since the opening note off their self-titled debut album. With a sound encapsulated with abrasive grooves, acutely wrangled guitar riffs, rumbling bass lines and a gravel throated delivery from front-man, Bryan Webb, their template manages to embed itself in the hearts of many music followers. Thankfully, their fourth opus, Kensington Heights continues the trend.
Due to the quality of these songs, it’s evident that natural progression has prevailed within the band. They’ve made so much awe-inspiring music that it’s hard to believe they’ve flown under the radar for so long. If they were the World’s best kept secret, then that could soon change.
‘Hard Feelings’ is a raucous opener and lead single, with a disjointed drum line and Webb’s uncanny way of just letting the words roll out of his mouth without even caring about the rhythms his band-mates knock out. ‘Trans Canada’ possesses a bass line that beings like a motor running, only to be cut off at the pass by those intricate guitar pieces this band has made a living off by delivering. The short and sweet flow of ‘Credit River’ is modern music delivered at its finest, while ‘Life or Death’ is an epic notion that’s almost too much to handle.
If you take the charisma of Bruce Springsteen and the crushing tempo shifts of Fugazi and throw them into a bull ring then you’d get the Constantines. Kensington Heights is arty so much that it’s poetic, while the raw edge of rock ‘n’ roll that gauges at your ears is about as working class as music in 2008 could possibly be.
By Simon K
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