Maxïmo Park return with their most adventurous musical and lyrical album to date

Too Much Information is the fifth album from Tyneside’s finest art rock group Maxïmo Park.

Maxïmo Park - Too Much Information 8/10

Out 3rd February

Five albums in and over ten years as a band this album from Maxïmo
Park presents a more experimental side than 2012’s
The National Health, there is still the rock pop sound they are mostly known for but this time there’s more scope given to their electronic synth foray.
Give, Get, Take is the
Apply Some Pressure of this album it’s the urgent, intelligent pop song. Cementing his position of one of the finest, poetic lyricists, “I feel the swell of apprehension, whenever there’s a subtle tension” is just one example of Paul Smith’s eloquent rhyming verses. It builds in true Maxïmo Park style, with schizophrenic synths taking on the role of what would traditionally be the guitar solo. Current single is the beautiful and sensuous
Leave This Island, its poetic and broody, lyrically questioning, ‘Have you ever fell? Are you gonna tell me why? When you wanna leave this island, Let me know?’ It is mysterious and inquisitive.
Too Much Information marks a shift in Smith’s vocals, his singing style has always suited the angular, slightly quirky music but this time it feels like he is actually singing, on the weird, ghostly
Brain Cells his voice is a lot higher and wispier than it’s ever been, it’s the sound of a band pushing their own boundaries and being fearless in trying new sounds. Never afraid to show emotion,
Is It True? Is stark, raw and completely exposed emotionally. Talking about their unique sound Smith says “our lyrics and our music will never be too-cool-for-school, we are an emotional band even if it might be too much information for some.” Slightly self-depreciating, but well aware of their fan base, Maxïmo Park will always be slight outsiders and
Too Much Information refuses to be a simple pop album, there’s the brash, rocky pop, the cool electronic experimentation and then there is mellow acoustic ballads all mixed together, while some of it doesn’t quite work all the time it is exciting for such an established band to be constantly changing and adapting their sounds but still retaining their unique identity. As with any band that has been around for any length of time and with such a fervent fan base, comments like the earlier stuff is the best is the normal reaction, while
Too Much Information doesn’t have that urgency or flat out energy
A Certain Trigger has it does have a lot of the beauty found on
Our Earthly Pleasures and certainly (for this Maxïmo Park fan) its more adventurous and has more maturity than the lacklustre
The National Health. It is a welcome return for a continually evolving, exciting and energetic band.
http://maximopark.com/  

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