From the album’s title you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a dark, serious collection of songs. You’d only be partially right, and as for me I’m a little confused…

The opening track ‘The Beginning After The End begins with one of the most devastating instrumental bass drum rhythms I’ve heard on record and finishes on a female talking about ‘after the war.’ Then shrill electronic sounds introduce male and female vocals in a beats driven song that is heavily pop-orientated. ‘The Night Starts Here’ is a pleasant enough song whose light ambience defies the message implicit in the song’s title. The message is optimism personified: “Forget your name, forget your fear… the task ahead, the love it takes to destroy the past…” And so the puzzle starts. ‘Take Me To The Riot’ sustains the pop vibe with epic choruses and truckloads of melody. ‘My Favourite Book’ is a pop ballad with the young female vocal and while light and melodic is strangely at odds with the scenario. It even talks about making love backed by string flourishes. ‘Midnight Coward’ has a much darker, driving sound but the rather sweet, young male and female vocals diminish any ominous vibe. ‘Personal at last sees vocals that reflect the darker instrumental. They are whispered voices that reflect both fear and hope, with a moving piano accompaniment providing the feeling of sadness. ‘Barricade’ sustains the sad vibe with a wistful male vocal supported by sparse piano notes and lovely melody in one of the albums standout songs. ‘Window Bird’ is another tune with quite beautiful choruses and harmonies; lovely expressive female vocal; and a wonderful instrumental arrangement. I suspect this could be a charting single. Rocky guitar riffs introduce ‘Bitches In Tokyo’ which sticks with the female vocal while rampant, rocky choruses alternate with more contemplative verses. It’s actually a very good song. ‘Today Will Be Better, I Swear’ keeps up the standard with spells of ocean deep bass, interspersed with wandering piano notes, and a detached, tumbling vocal. The final song, ‘In Our Bedroom After The War’ is another mismatch between sentiment and musical ambience. Yes, “the war is over and we are beginning” (hell, there’s a catastrophe out there folks!) but it’s all sweetness and light, until the final few seconds when orchestration takes over in spectacular fashion to just rescue the song.

I’m confused and only moderately impressed with this record. There are songs that nail the scenario quite well, but several miss the mark dramatically with mainstream pop sounds and mismatched vocals. Disappointing.

3/5