‘The London Particular’ is named after the smog that would, and sometimes still does, engulf London since back in the 1800’s. This is Dealing With Damage’s third album that is now available via one of the North East of England’s best independent record labels, Serial Bowl Records. It feels like almost yesterday when I listened to the last Dealing With Damage album ‘Use The Daylight’, but apparently 3 years and an EP release have passed, it seems that getting old plays tricks with your personal timeline, but at least it doesn’t erase the memories of good music. ‘Use The Daylight’ had so much going for it, a sound that to my ear lay somewhere in between Eater and Sonic Youth (yeah I know, that’s my strange mind). So where does this new, and I emphasise the word ‘new’, album lay, I’d have to say in a totally different universe. Yes, there are still those Eater/Sonic Youth moments (once you get it in your head it won’t go away I guess), but this album is just a total re-write of this bands sound, it feels like a fulfilment of a journey, the addition of Owen Cox on Bass and Steve Cox on Keyboards seems to have given them a whole new lease of life.
This is an album that drops like a blockbuster movie soundtrack, although it does kick off with some kind of “sit in your seats and be ready for an experience of joint meditation”. This is rudely interrupted as the opener and stand out ‘The Inconvenience of Democracy’ smashes in like a steamroller, this is where everything this band is now comes in at full tilt, with a look at just how lacklustre democracy has become, where sound bites and throw aways win over real political insight. However, I did mishear the 1st line of the chorus “Why can’t the world be like Ikea” instead of “like I feel” which actually seemed apt, why can’t it be so perfectly clean lined instead of being so badly led by money and power alone. The next song up is an interesting beast, as soon as I heard the opening it reminded me of another band who sit on the same record label as Dealing With Damage, Slalom D, who have a similar feel these days with the bass sound and the addition of keyboards. ‘Nickey Nickey’ is the first song on this album thats for myself sets out this band’s latest sound in full colour, it’s fresh and vibrant to say the least.
‘But Fear This Art’ roles in a third way into the album and I’ve picked this out because its not as brash and guitar led like some of the album, this is a spoken word piece thats has a musical overcoat that hits just the right balance, which is something that pops up throughout this album like drops of paint to colour the waters and add theatre to their art. I think what I’m trying to convey about this album, and maybe my lack of education as a youngster might hold me back, is that this collection of songs is exactly that. It’s an album it works on both levels, every song can sit on its own or be part of the whole, which rarely happens.
Some of my other personal favourites in this album of 15 stand outs, have to be the fight against depression song ‘Pre-Dawn Grey Skies Blues’ & ‘Head Full Of Feedback’, that throws a mean bass line at ya along with its psychedelic moments, this is just a genius sounding moment. Then you get the acoustically driven ‘One Bump At A Time’, which has more than most acoustic ballads can even dream of, it’s full of complexity yet it is conveyed with simplistic ease. This is a stunning ode to life and living through its pitfalls. If you’ve made it to the end of this review and have any idea of how good this album is, then all I can say is well fucking done. Regardless of what I’ve said, this is an album that deserves so much more than words, it hits every punk rock string whether that be of the heart or the mind. If this is what Dealing With Damage are now, can we only imagine where they may be in another years time, the top table awaits thats for sure.
‘The London Particular’ is out now via Serial Bowl Records, you can check out ‘Dealing With Damage on Facebook and Bandcamp.
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