And Nothing Hurt
Fat Possum
2018
Rating: 9 electrocuted ducks out of 10
It’s right there in the bible, clear as day – “and on the seventh day, god told Jason Pierce to stop dicking around and release a new friggin' Spiritualized record already, because he needed some new jams what with all the laying around on clouds he had planned.” Pierce has done four and five year gaps recently, but this time it was six – and I’m not at all fan of the direction these waits are trending in. In fact, there has been some talk this is the last Spiritualized album, but I flat out refuse to believe that. Yeah, no one will be surprised if the next record takes forever, but I have a hard time believing Pierce will ever completely stop making music. Gorgeous, amazing music, music the world needs, even if they don't know it.
The opening two tracks "A Perfect Miracle" and "I'm Your Man" got released a few weeks before "And Nothing Hurt," so I've been living with those for a while. They're damn near perfect encapsulations of what it is that makes Spiritualized so incredible - lush, mesmerizing orchestral compositions paired with British pop that often feels and sounds more like lullabies than rock music. That's the bulk of the album at least - there are always a couple of harder rockers too, and for this release they are the upbeat bluesy numbers "On The Sunshine" and "The Morning After." Both of which you could easily imagine as undiscovered outtakes from "Exile On Main Street" if Pierce's voice sounded at all like Mick Jagger. You know what other songs are a highlight here? Every goddamn one of them.
I've already complained about how long it took Pierce to make "And Nothing Hurt," but when you listen you can kinda hear why - it gives off the vibe that every note was finely crafted and fretted over before it was ever agreed that it would be released to the world. And even if I might get antsy about how long you have to wait between Spiritualized albums, I also wouldn't change a damn thing if this is the result.
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