:: Let It Come Down

Spiritualized

Spiritualized livened up the electro-music scape in 1997 with an awesome album, “Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space”. This follow-up has been eagerly awaited and shouldn’t let any discerning music listener down. Their front man Jason Pierce has gone through personal hardship, and he tackles issues of “the steps to recovery” in the sparkling song “The Twelve Steps”, and salvation in the song “Lord Can You Hear Me?” In fact, the band Low had previously played this song. Pierce revisits the song as a burst of inspiration. Low’s Mimi Parker even contributes. The healing process is exemplified in the uplifting, poignant “Stop Your Crying”. That’s just a taste of the way he has documented his “travels” in the last four years. With touches of operatic grandeur and rich gospel choruses, the band enhances their electronica leanings to great effect. Pierce’s vision is massive and he overwhelms the listener into something out of the ordinary. And he engineers a procession of guest musicians to enhance the arrangements. You might remember that Pierce sacked three members of the band after the 1997 album; now concentrating on a purer, revealing set of tracks. It’s a remarkable album in many ways – being a long time in planning and execution and a strong rehabilitation for Jason Pierce in “cleaning himself up”.