LICE – ‘Third Time At The Beach’ album review: refreshingly cacophonous
THE SKINNY: Bristol’s LICE have always been one of the contemporary British bands that do something refreshing with music, despite having some clear influences. On their latest album, Third Time at the Beach, they produce what is undoubtedly their best body of work yet, as they delve deeper into the weird darkness they’ve always been experts at crafting and keep the listener on their toes.
In most aspects, LICE provides compelling entertainment on Third Time at the Beach, challenging listeners and themselves by resisting resting on their laurels and instituting a host of sharp left turns. It’s not very often you hear albums that feel like a voyage, but this is certainly one instance where it is immersive and entertaining, striking the fine balance between wry irony and seriousness.
It’s creating a palpable sense of darkness, dread even, that LICE does particularly well on the latest effort. It’s incredibly unsettling and sinister at points, with the vocals, lyrics, instrumentation and effects all working in unison to whisk you from the relative comfort of your home deep into their bizarre world that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
Personally, there are a handful of things that stop the album from feeling totally comprehensive, though. The first is that the vocals, while distinctive and dynamic, on a small handful of occasions sound too much like the pained yowl of Gilla Band’s Dara Kiely. In some instances, the music also appears to be taking much from their sound.
Elsewhere, despite LICE creating a menacing and undoubtedly refreshing blend for most of the record, there are moments where they veer too far into standard contemporary post-punk, with upbeat, funky moments evoking Talking Heads, and the latest suited band utilising brass. Together, these aspects make the bulk of the album, and the last three tracks feel like they’re on different records, despite the weirdness on offer, and the band’s best efforts to keep themselves firmly on their path.
All in all, though, Third Time at the Beach is a great record that deserves attention, as there are several moments of pure musical genius in store.
For fans of: Butthole Surfers, meth, and unironically wearing brogues in 2024.
A concluding comment from your local mullet man: “LICE, are they still going? I thought they’d have succumbed to some sort of misadventure by now and called time.”
Third Time at the Beach track by track
Release: September 20th | Label: AD 93
‘Unscrewed’: A strange, unsettling opener, that initially brings to mind the works of David Firth in composition, lyrics and the comical vocal effects. Then, out of nowhere, a gorgeous piano line emerges, making it clear that this is to be an album full of surprises, which it is, with the song only just getting started. [4/5]
‘White Tubes’: An oddity of a track, this stop blends off-kilter techno with industrial and post-punk. A really bizarre number, its breakneck speed and the vocals make it feel like you’re on some creepy fairground ride. Imagine Gilla Band pushed through the prism of Butthole Surfers, and it works. [4/5]
‘Red Fibres’: Kicking off with a funky but driving bassline, this is another number that gets you moving. While you might have heard post-punk like this before, it’s still enjoyable. It’s a real ride, jolting from one space to another, again showing LICE are hard to pigeonhole. Some top riffs in this one. [4/5]
‘To The Basket’: A slow sub and glistening textures make you feel safe from the bizarro evil of Third Time at the Beachfor just a short time, as the Bristol outfit pursues a more transcendental path. Nothing is sacred, though, and a hard, sludgy beat and related sonics then protrude, with the darkness ramped right up in one of the best switches on the record. Expertly, the quartet then meld both aspects with verve. [4.5/5]
‘Wrapped In A Sheet’: By this point, it’s clear that LICE are committed to keeping themselves and listeners on their toes, which they also manage to achieve here while staying within their unsettling sound. This stop, a convergence of experimental industrial and dance instrumentation with post-punk, is incredibly effective. The drums are great, too, threatening to come completely off the rails. [4/5]
‘Scenes From The Desert’: A return to the strange vocal effects, a dark, picked guitar melody and repetitive rhythm underpin one of the more narcotic tracks on the record. The bassline and rhythm are particularly compelling, as is the break with the jazzy piano, and the later inclusion of the brass. [4/5]
‘Mown In Circles’: Courtesy of the swells of the bass and the drums, this is a more direct number, that will no doubt appeal to lovers of post-punk and its contemporary tendency to add brass, as well as those who are looking for something more restorative, as LICE expertly blend genres once again. The sliding guitar line is also exceptional. [4/5]
‘Fatigued, Confused’: Upbeat once more. Another one that will appeal to post-punk fans who love group backing vocals, Talking Heads and trousers hoisted above their navels. There’s no doubt it’s a groove and has the most mainstream appeal on the record at points, but the group adds enough weirdness to this party to make it stand out, and not fall into the genre’s present boring malaise. The synth is great. [3.5/5]
‘Third Time At The Beach’: While this song is undoubtedly good, it’s one that sounds a bit too much like Gilla Band, particularly in the exasperated vocal and opening pangs. Of course, LICE seek to do something different with the formula, which is mostly effective, particularly in the climax. [3/5]
‘The Dance’: Another funky, 1980s number, I’m a big fan of the riff and the playful piano work. It’s highly cinematic, despite the glitchy textures, and prompts many exciting questions concerning where the band might head in future. [3.5/5]
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