Skunk Anansie – ‘The Painful Truth’ album review: The fire that still burns
THE SKINNY: The flames of Skunk Anansie have never been so explosive. For a band that has been active longer than many of today’s players, it would be easy to fall into a certain level of complacency. However, such a defining decision would also mean risking the commanding energy that has always set them apart. With The Painful Truth, Skunk Anansie explored exactly that—the pull of fresh creativity toward a more layered arena.
That said, as one of the more versatile acts of the current landscape, theatricality and explosiveness would always work well, no matter which avenue they found themselves veering towards. For instance, The Painful Truth works from the opening notes because Skin delivers each word with an unrelenting charge, even in quiet contemplation, when she delicately balances fragility with a more subdued defiance.
While countless other records and songs demonstrate just that, The Painful Truth shows refreshed rawness because of the band’s unrelenting passion and energy. The kind that says, “We’ve been here for a while, but that doesn’t mean anything: it is and will always be about making good music, no matter what.” Or, as Skin put it, “I don’t care that we were big in the Nineties. Creatively, it’s irrelevant because in my rock bible the first commandment states, ‘If thy rest on them laurels thy shall wither up and die artistically, musically, mentally. And then financially.'”
And, for Skin, the painful truth is that the drive must always remain, no matter the amount of time they have behind them, or the life events and experiences they have encountered along the way. So long as they have the motivation to keep at it, the music will always show up. And those are the moments where the record shines the most; the moments where the textures sparkle with effortless ease, signalling a band that knows exactly what to place where to get the inner motors running.
For fans of: Those wishing their beloved ’90s bands would deliver as much fervour as they did then.
A concluding comment from a rock loyalist: “A pleasant surprise.”
The Painful Truth track by track:
Release Date: May 23rd | Producer: David Sitek | Label: FLG Records
‘An Artist Is An Artist’: A searing, provocative anthem about maturing in an industry that favours young stars, ‘An Is An Artist’ challenges the notion itself, commanding the significance of raw creativity at any juncture. [3/5]
‘This Is Not Your Life’: Brimming with innovative promise, ‘This Is Not Your Life’ demands much-needed catharsis, incorporating heart-thumping rhythms and an attention-grabbing explosive chorus, almost reaching the ambition it sets out to achieve without quite getting there. [2.5/5]
‘Shame’: Skin’s delicate vocal balance between fragility and defiance shines with effortless ease on ‘Shame’, giving the track an added ethereal feel that feels welcoming as well as endearingly unpredictable. [3.5/5]
‘Lost And Found’: An undeniable album highlight, it’s difficult not to imagine ‘Lost and Found’ as the defining track of the band’s current chapter, ticking all boxes from soaring vocal delivery to masterful new wave arrangement. [3.5/5]
‘Cheers’: A more gritty, punk-inspired sound, ‘Cheers’ delivers on palpable energy, channelling the band’s unrelenting desire to create great music at any cost, no matter how long they’ve been in the game. [3/5]
‘Shoulda Been You’: A more modern revision of Skunk Anansie’s core appeal with a multitude of added quirks and whims, ‘Shoulda Been You’ is fun, melodically charming, and sonically innovative. [3/5]
‘Animal’: A song that feels open and raw from start to finish, ‘Animal’ taps into the chaos inside all of us, the kind we entertain from time to time, never really knowing how to truly keep it at bay. [3/5]
‘Fell In Love With A Girl’: One of the more consistent aspects of The Painful Truth, and something that becomes clearer on this record than any others, is Skin’s ability to transform her voice into an emotional instrument. This skill shines throughout ‘Fell In Love’. [3/5]
‘My Greatest Moment’: Songs like this make it easy to detect the passion in the current iteration of Skunk Anansie, the kind that is ever-searching for greatness beyond everything they achieved before. ‘My Greatest Moment’ feels like the record’s hero track, the kind that feels unsuspecting at first, but that which you keep coming back to in the end. [3.5/5]
‘Meltdown’: Ending the record on a note of calculated reflection, ‘Meltdown’ is a gorgeous display of Skunk Anansie’s versatility, offering some much-needed respite amid the more commanding arrangements. [3.5/5]
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