Fat White Family – ‘Forgiveness Is Yours’ album review: A stellar return

Name: Fat White Family - Forgiveness Is Yours
Rating: 4

Aimee Ferrier

Wed 24 April 2024 17:16, UK

Fat White Family - 'Forgiveness Is Yours'

SKINNY: Fat White Family are a notorious band, everyone knows that. Since their inception, they’ve flirted with some shocking imagery and deliberately provoked outrage through controversial lyricism and nudity-laden live shows. You only have to skim through lead vocalist Lias Saoudi’s book Ten Thousand Apologies, which he co-wrote with Adelle Stipe, to stumble upon some stomach-turning stories about the band, leaving you wondering how they’re still making music.

Yet, it sometimes feels like their reputation overshadows their art, which only seems to get better with each album. While they certainly have a cult following – rarely will you meet a casual Fat White Family fan – it often feels as though the band aren’t given enough credit despite crafting some of the most sonically and lyrically interesting bodies of work from the past decade.

Fat White Family’s fourth album, Forgiveness Is Yours, sees them push themselves even further into a musical territory they’ve never traversed before. While the band’s quintessential sound is still present, they’ve experimented with chaotic jazz-inspired arrangements and spoken word among concoctions of synths and guitars. Saoudi gives an unbridled performance, moving between delicate delivery and more cutting, intense demonstrations of his vocal ability.

This is a self-assured record where transgression and boundary-pushing have paid off. From the danceable ‘Bullet of Dignity’ to the more avant-garde storytelling of Saoudi’s brother’s circumcision in ‘Today You Become Man’, there’s something here for everyone. Saoudi explains that the album is about the fact that “shit will never get any easier…in fact, it’s about to get a whole lot worse,” yet, in the face of death and destruction, all you can really do is keep going. “You’ve smashed enough of your expectations thus far in life, you’re sort of fine with it…you accept it,” he adds.

This isn’t an optimistic album about life’s great joys, but it’s hardly a miserable listen. At every turn, there’s something intriguing to discover. Forgiveness is Yours is one of the band’s finest efforts, proving them to be more than provocateurs. Fat White Family are incredible musicians who continually set out to do something different. It’s no wonder their shows are always crammed with fans. People aren’t just hoping to catch a glimpse of the band’s subversive stage antics – they want to hear these ingenious songs played back to them.

For fans of: Being the last one to stay out on a night out, and acknowledging the inevitable misery of the world that awaits you in the morning.

A concluding comment from my boyfriend: “This album is like a barbeque: fucking tasty, but too much of it would be sure to kill you.”

Forgiveness Is Yours track-by-track:

‘The Archivist’: A quiet start to the album, we get the first of two spoken word pieces, with a delicate instrumental backing contrasting Saoudi’s harsher lyrical observations. It’s more of a prelude rather than an actual song, encapsulating the essence of the record within one swift track. [3/5]

‘John Lennon’: This track really marks Fat White Family’s progression as a band. There are no murky riffs or chaotic screeches, but there’s still a sense of disorderliness present as flutes and synths rapidly intersect. [3.5/5]

‘Bullet of Dignity’: ‘Bullet of Dignity’ is the album’s most danceable track, with a cracking bassline and one of the best riffs they’ve ever delivered. As the song progresses, the atmosphere gets even more intense; it feels as though you’re dancing under neon lights, which are continually flashing brighter and quicker. [4.5/5]

‘Polygamy Is Only For The Chief’: There’s a sense of disorientation that creeps in as slanted guitar riffs weave in and out before a layered cacophony of vocals and piano fill the song with a slight sense of terror. [4/5]

‘Visions of Pain’: Using the same melody as the classic ‘Waters of March’, Saoudi’s voice is smooth and seductive, dominating over a fairly minimal instrumental palette. [3.5/5]

‘Today You Become Man’: Perhaps the most ambitious thing the band has ever done, Saoudi details his brother’s experience of being painfully circumcised as a child in Algeria as frenzied jazz-inspired instruments soundtrack his stream-of-consciousness memories. [4/5]

‘Religion For One’: With backing melodies that evoke classic 1950s tunes, ‘Religion For One’ is a far cry from the band’s earlier songs, where frenetic guitars and unrefined vocals dominated, yet they suit this sound really well. [4/5]

‘Feed The Horse’: Adapted from a song of the same name from band member Nathan Saoudi’s project, Brain Destiny, ‘Feed The Horse’ has become even more expansive and addictive in this new rendition. [4.5/5]

‘What’s That You Say’: This is undoubtedly going to be a live favourite. Perhaps one of the more accessible tracks on the album, but by no means simple or derivative, ‘What’s That You Say’ is a mellow piece that’ll quickly have you singing along to the chorus. [4/5]

‘Work’: ‘80s-esque upbeat synths open the track, which eventually explodes into a beautiful mess of instruments and a whirlwind of multiple vocal tracks. It’s one of the album’s best songs. [4.5/5]

‘You Can’t Force It’: The band ends the record on a soft note, allowing Saoudi to sing over gentle piano and strings. They’ve never done anything exactly like this before, but the band still sound like themselves. Regardless, it’s definitely a weaker moment compared to the rest of the album. [3/5]