TRACK REVIEW: Elbow - White Noise White Heat

TRACK REVIEW:

Elbow

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Neill

White Noise White Heat

9.5/10

The track, White Noise White Heat, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zDMo40w5IA

GENRES:

Alternative-Rock/Indie-Rock

ORIGIN:

Greater Manchester, U.K.

The album, Giants of All Sizes, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4EqYFNisfHX1IPA0IoaKI2?si=bpUxOqbXTviguKeBH6ZjIg

RELEASE DATE:

11th October, 2019

LABEL:

Polydor Records

__________

I have held off reviewing Elbow…

for a while, because I wanted to wait until the album, Giants of All Sizes, came out. Now that it is in the world, I have picked the latest single, White Noise White Heat, and will try to get to the core of Guy Garvey and his band. I wanted to start by talking about Garvey and his leadership; his fantastic personality and warmth. I will also move to look at Elbow and how they have progressed through the years; a bit about political climates and how, now, Elbow are rooting for change and understanding rather than attacking or sitting back. I want to address the reputation Manchester bands get for being miserabilists and how Elbow have never been that sort of band; a little about bands with renewed purpose and place. I am a big fan of Guy Garvey and he is one of those artists who is genuine and has a brilliant warmth. I have seen some articles and sources that claim Garvey comes across a little prickly or awkward but, in reality, every human being does! Garvey is one of the most engaging people to listen to and, as leader of Elbow, I am really interested to know where he came from and when music struck him. I will talk more about Elbow’s current moves in a bit but, before getting to that stage, I think it is important to study a songwriter as prolific and celebrated as Garvey. He is one of the most varied and brilliant songwriters of this generation. There is reality and truth in what he writes but, whether it is the Progressive-Rock moments on Giants of All Sizes or the more bombastic songs on The Seldom Seen Kid, Garvey brings out so much emotion and feeling. I want to bring in an interview from 2015 Garvey gave with The Guardian when promoting his solo album, Courting the Squall:

“He can remember all the colours, sounds and smells of his childhood – the music blasting, his sisters singing and never walking down the stairs because they were always in such a rush. “They just jumped the length of the stairs, and every five minutes you’d hear this crash in the hall. They’re still manic when they’re all together now.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Thomas Butler

Garvey excelled at school, until the age of 12, when his parents split up. He got two GCSEs, and was eventually thrown out of sixth-form college after enrolling three years on the trot without attending classes. He knows his family were disappointed in him. “I’m the only one who didn’t get a cap and gown photo on my mum’s wall. And then I was given an honorary doctorate in Manchester, which my sister Sam was furious about. She worked for her PhD.”

He was always a big lad, but despite his size he was bullied. “I was the tallest in school. But a couple of little shits made my life hell. I had massive, sticky-out ears. Huge. They tortured me about it.” When he was 12, he had his ears pinned back, got his first crew cut and thought he was making a new start. “I went back to school and within half an hour they were singing Holding Back The Ears. It’s kids: twisted, evil geniuses.” He finishes his pint. “Very nice stout this, by the way, mate.”

I ask how he manages to be so productive. “Most of the things I do for a living I can do drunk.” Does he worry about his alcohol consumption? “Yes. I drink too much. The one I’ve really got to watch is whisky. I adore it.” How much can he get through? “I’m ashamed to say I could polish off a bottle without a problem. I could have this conversation after a bottle of scotch.” How long would it take him to drink? “A couple of hours.”

Does the drinking help him write? Garvey smiles. “I used to think booze helped me write. It doesn’t at all. I used to convince myself it was a necessary part, but that’s bollocks.” Nearly all his best work, he says, is done sober. Why did he tell himself he wrote better drunk? “The drinking was all part of the garret, the romance of the swinging lightbulb, the dedicating my life to unpaid art idea. Tortured in my 20s – all part of that”.

I can imagine Garvey being hooked by music at school and chasing it. It is interesting to read this interview from a few years back and learning about how he is open about his childhood and harder times. Garvey is a great band leader and, in terms of his path to success, he has brought together all his experiences, battles and memories and injected them into he music.

I think the fact Garvey is so relatable and grounded means the music of Elbow has that extra degree of resonance and connection. Look back at an album like Asleep in the Back from 2001 and how they have evolved over the past eighteen years. I love their debut a lot – and so did the critics! -, but I think Elbow have become more experimental and bolder as they have progressed. One can say that, as Elbow have grown older and their bonds tighter, that is natural. I find a lot of artists tend to stand still or are not as progressive as you’d hope. Elbow continue to venture and search with each album. Giants of All Sizes is a mature album but, musically, there is so much happening. I think (the album) is one of their most eclectic and fulsome. Another thing that strikes me when it comes to Elbow is a comparative lack of interviews. They were in session for Shaun Keaveny at the legendary Maida Vale Studios and the band were in great form! I do wonder why there are not more press interviews out there. It would be great to hear more from the band about their current album and, as someone who has followed their work since the early days, I would be interested discovering what has inspired the latest album and how things have changed in camp through the years. I did find an interview Garvey gave to Under the Radar, where he was asked about Elbow’s changing sound and, interestingly, whether is a spirituality to the music:

“Is there a spirituality that sort of roots the music, or is part of the music-making process for you?

Well, I realized recently when somebody very, very close to me was very, very ill what I believe. Because I was brought up a Christian, but I haven't considered myself a Christian for well over half my life now. But I realized in the desperation of prayer—and it was the absolute desperation, I don't want to go into the details because it was just horrific—I found myself saying God, all the gods, anything anybody's ever believed in, every proton of good will that's forced the universe to change for the better, spare me a few scraps here, for this person I love.

IN THIS PHOTO: Elbow with Jesca Hoop/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

I suppose in that, you can't dispel somebody else's belief on account of not agreeing with them, because even if you don't believe in anything spiritual, any higher power, you don't have the right to take that away from people. And religion causes all kinds of bad things, of course it does. But it also gives people will, positive will. Martin Luther King said in a letter that he was a Christian before he was a black man, and it was his faith in Christ that gave him the impetus and strength to do what he did, knowing where he was going with it.

I don't believe in a deity. I don't believe in a physical embodiment or a creature. I believe in will because I see the effects of it all around. I believe in lives spent sharing and lives spent moving positively and thinking about people afterwards and doing it because it's right. In a nutshell, I believe in positivity. I believe in people. I believe in good will, and there are all kinds of energy that we're not aware of.

I'm not somebody who reads auras or believes in ghosts, any more than I'm a Christian or a Muslim, but I read atmospheres. I read atmospheres in a room. I always have. You walk in and you feel a prickle because a character's there that you shouldn't trust. It's probably an extension of my natural cowardice where physical violence is concerned. I've managed to not get punched my entire adult life. In fact, when I was in charge of a nightclub in Manchester for four years, there was never a punch thrown on my watch, because I could spot the problem makers before they could cause any trouble.

PHOTO CREDIT: Deirdre O’Callaghan

How much does making music today feel like it did in the beginning?

Well, there isn't the same arguing, wailing, gnashing, endless insisting your point being the right point. We just rowed for 10 years about over what should happen next. Like storming out rows. That doesn't happen anymore. There's intense discussion, but it doesn't get personal. At the same time, that was an incredible passion.

I remember the first time we played as a band at St. Anne's Church hall when we were all 17 and Craig [Potter] was still at school. Craig was 15. We were playing a song and when we stopped at the same time, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that we'd coordinated ourselves to the point where we could play a song and know exactly where it ended. [Laughs] And that feeling was the spark of the buzz.

Today, I've just moved house and I set up my speakers and I put the same record I always put on when I set up my hi-fi. It was put in storage for a year. I put Talk Talk's New Grass on the speaker as the sun went down, and my wife was on the stairs playing with our son, and I just bathed in the sound. Just got lost in the moment. I'm so passionate about other people's music, and consider it such an honor to be able to add to that great big beautiful cloud that is all music.

I really like the fact music is such a big and constant presence in Garvey’s life. I was listening to the band chat with BBC Radio 6 Music yesterday (10th October), and they had this brotherly connection and cheeky affection. They are a band who has that great love, and they are always looking to move forward. It seems there is greater stability in the band and an undying passion for what they do.

I am going to review a track that has a political element to it. White Noise White Heat is one of the most angered and emotional songs the band have ever created. Garvey has explained how the song is not about the tragedy at Grenfell, but it is a reaction to the fire which claimed lives and devastated a community. Seeing the smoke pour and the carnage on the news, that awful event from 2017 impacted us all. If the remainder of Giants of All Sizes has a sense of positivity and hope, there is more self-doubt on White Noise White Heat. Whereas Garvey and crew could find uplift and sanctuary in the face of other problems and events, the pain and rawness of Grenfell needed something pretty hard-going, evocative and honesty – less we downplay the seriousness of the fire and its horror. There is a change in musical approach/direction on White Noise White Heat, and you know the band mean every note and pained second. It is not an entirely bleak song, yet it does explore a very big tragedy. Addressing a subject like Grenfell allowed Elbow a chance to do something new and combine angrier lyrics with a composition that is more dislocated. I do wonder what Guy Garvey and Elbow make of Britain today. It is clear he is dissatisfied with the leadership of Theresa May and how she reacted to Grenfell. One feels he is dismayed at the current Government and everything that is happening with Brexit. One also feels he would like to see a stable Labour charge; politicians who can affect change. Back in 2015, Garvey was asked about Jeremy Corbyn and his thoughts:

“There’s so much he’s excited about, he says, not least politics. Is he optimistic about Jeremy Corbyn? “Course I am. I follow his fashion. I’m going to bust that blazer out with the patches on the elbow. I’ve got loads of that kind of wardrobe. The more successful he is, the more compromises he’ll have to make, and I hope people won’t be too disappointed when he does. He’s got every chance of being leader of the country. It’s brilliant. It made me very happy.”

Meanwhile, he’s getting increasingly involved in the politics of music, trying to ensure today’s musicians have a chance of making a living. A few years ago, he worked with the Musicians’ Union to get the law changed, so that landlords didn’t need a licence to have a couple of people play in their pub. Now, he’s trying to get the Noise Abatement Act changed, so that residents can’t move into an area and have established venues shut down. On his weekly Radio 6 show, he asks listeners to request songs he hasn’t heard, to boost the profile of little-known artists”.

It is clear that, then and now, Garvey is striving for justice and is someone who wants to help make a difference. I think Elbow are champions when it comes to lesser-championed souls, seldom seen kids and ordinary people. The band’s lyrics often reflect communities and neighbourhoods; various elements of Garvey’s own life and the sort of scenes the Elbow boys grew up around. Elbow never sit back when it comes to justice. Whether it is Garvey’s fighting with Musicians’ Union or Elbow assessing the Grenfell tragedy on White Noise White Heat, one feels they want to see radical political change and improvement very soon – as do we all! At a very difficult time for Britain, a lot of artists are putting into words their feelings regarding the situation and splits we are seeing. Giants of All Sizes has some fears and anxieties, but one gets a feeling and hope, that has always been evident in Elbow’s music. I think one can write in an optimistic way, even if it seems like there is a lack of hope in society.

That brings me onto an interesting consideration. I think Manchester bands have often been tagged with labels concerning tone and mood. Many are viewed as being quite miserable and downbeat. Look at legends like The Smiths and The Stone Roses, and many people feel like Elbow are forlorn or pessimistic. I don’t think the band have ever been like that. It seems like a lazy tag to apply to Manchester bands. Perhaps we feel like, as a lot of the bands there are working-class, they are reflecting a slightly grimmer reality compared to a wealthier South. Again, that is a flawed and stereotyped view. Cities like Manchester are thriving and buzzing and, whilst there are struggles and deprivations in various areas of the North, so many musicians from the area are producing positive, hopeful music. I think Garvey has been asked about the miserabilist tag in interviews and how he feels. Elbow are expansive and always-changing, they are always rooting for positive change and they are, I think, a band who have always been able to bring joy and strength to people. I usually do not bring other reviews into my own work, because I feel it sort of distracts from my own words. That said, The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis raised an interesting point regarding Elbow and Giants of All Sizes Is their warm music something that is alien at a time when many feel quite devoid of energy and optimism?

“The music similarly plays against type, or at least the popularly held view of type. When they first started attracting widespread interest, one of the most frequently remarked upon things about Elbow was the band’s unabashed love of progressive rock – still a ballsy thing for a hotly tipped alt-rock band to admit 20 years ago. Its influence has never really left them – on any given Elbow album you’re never that far from a song that sounds shimmering, aching but uplifting and suggestive of long teenage hours spent listening to The Carpet Crawlers by Genesis on repeat.

But it’s more prevalent here than ever. It’s telling that Giants of All Sizes is being released as a limited edition single track CD, as if it’s a suite of songs, rather than a collection of them.

It’s debatable whether Elbow’s patent brand of warmth and optimism really is redundant in the current climate. One of the striking things about Nick Cave’s rapturously received Ghosteen was how empathetic and hopeful its songs sounded, potentiated by the fact that empathy and hope are two things in short supply at the moment”.

Before moving on, I wonder whether Elbow will use Jesca Hoop more. That sounds like a bit of a tangential leap, but she is featured on Dexter & Sinister (from Giants of All Sizes) and adds an ethereal boost. In fact, it is not such a deviation. What Elbow have done on their latest album is to mix the sort of dismay and confusion many of us feel, balancing that with their traditional blend of empathy and strength. I do think there is this assumption that, as we are going through some tough times, artists need to reflect that; something buoyant or optimistic might seem jarring or futile. With heavenly vocals from Jesca Hoop, I think Elbow have added new layers and colours to their music. I would love to hear her on future Elbow recordings as you get this lovely blend between her and Garvey. Maybe she would not be a full-time member, but I think Hoop balms wounds and elevates the senses. In any case, I think we do need music that goes beyond the achingly real and politically motivated. If all we hear is music that is downbeat or too concerned with addressing schisms and turmoil, the effect that has on us is quite evident. I do think we can all do with a sense of togetherness and uplift because, let’s face it, the world is not entirely bad, and positivity is just as relevant and factual than a feeling or division. Artists and generations have faced worse struggles than what we have now, and they have managed to combat that with music that gets the smiles formed and the blood racing. Elbow never shy away from reality and what is happening around us, yet one feels like they all want us to feel and express more empathy.

When reviewing White Noise White Heat, one is struck by the lyrics and the impressions they leave. I shall come to that but, when White Noise White Heat starts up, there is this definite sense of energy and rouse. Whether the band were trying to articulate the sound of a brass band or a march, you are definitely stirred by an introduction that gets right into the blood. On other tracks across Giants of All Sizes, Elbow employ elements of different artists (they even go a bit Fleet Foxes at times), but I think White Noise White Heat is one of their most original creations. It begins with that kick and spark; a spirit that seems to have d dark edge to it. It is hard to articulate just how the introduction makes one feel but, instantly, images start to come out. When Garvey approaches the microphone, his voice carries a lot of weight, intent and emotion. He never cracks or gets too angered, yet you can sense this pain and sense of disenchantment. “I was born with trust/That didn’t survive the white noise of the lies” provokes all manner of possibilities. There is, as Garvey announces, the white heat of lies. Knowing that the events from Grenfell provoked the song and was on his mind, you sort of apply the lyrics to the Government and how they have (mis)handled things. Being Elbow, there is a mix of direct lyrics and the more oblique. After the incendiary and urgent opening lines, Garvey sings: “I tally catalogue and hold to the light/Forgotten scenes of love…”. Backed by a slightly off-kilter backing vocal, there is this eeriness that hangs behind; a spirit in the breeze that adds weight and chill to the song – also, there is a lot of beauty to be found. In some ways, one is reminded of John Lennon’s compositions for The Beatles (‘The White Album’) of 1968. Both sparse and almost choral, you have a track that is hard to easily define and absorb in the one sitting - it is advisable to listen to White Noise White Heat a few times through.

As one would expect from Elbow, the connection between lead and the band is incredible. Garvey turns in one of his most passionate vocal performances on Giants of All Sizes, whilst the composition provides endless nuance – so much is hidden on the first listen and you get these revelations as you keep listening. “I pick the broken dreams that hang in city centre trees” and “I just wanna get high” (the last time I heard that in a song is in Brittany Howard’s track, Get High, from earlier this year) are very different lines but are hugely powerful. The former seems to suggest a man who is looking through a wreckage and noticing debris that was once beautifully and hopeful; the latter indicates Garvey’s need to either be happy and return to a former state or just let things go. White Noise White Heat has an incredible percussive backbone, some tasty little riffs and stunning bass. The composition is so full of life, character and physicality, you listen to the song and transpose yourself into the scenes. The hero seems cast aside and helpless to save what is occurring. He tried to save the world and had a sense of certainty long ago. Things have changed and now he is a Blarney Mantovani (whatever that is?!); there is a degree of optimism escaping and how can one reconcile a stability and comfort against the atrocities happening around us; when leaders could act and make a difference. The sound of White Noise White Heat will be familiar with Elbow fans because, whilst the themes and feel of Giants of All Sizes is a little different to their previous work, you get a sound that is familiar and has Elbow’s hallmarks. Garvey, as I said, seems at his most emotive and impressive. The lads create this composition that has march and rain but there is plenty of rhythm and smoothness. It is a curious thing, and a sound that perfectly complements the lyrics. There are a lot of stunning songs on Giants of All Sizes but none that are as immediate and timely as White Noise White Heat.

I do not have time or space to review their album but, if you can, go grab a copy of Giants of All Sizes (link is at the top of this review) and experience a treasure trove of exceptional songs and some of the best compositions I have heard ion years. Elbow are so together and as-one; they seem to be this single organism that continues to stun, flower and excel. The band will be playing around the U.K., so if you get the chance to see them, ensure you do. I have only heard them play live on the radio, but they sound absolutely incredible! Maybe it is the kinship and the fact the band know one another very well. I feel like, to Elbow, music means more than anything. It is a way for all the members (Guy Garvey, Craig Potter; Mark Potter and Pete Turner) to express something mere words cannot – I know songs have words but, what I mean is (songs) are more powerful than conversations. Giants of All Sizes is a triumphant work and one that is a little different to some of their earlier work. Some say they miss a slightly rowdier Elbow, whilst others think their current sound is better. Elbow are, as I said, always moving and cannot be predicted. At the heart of their work, there is a truth and sense of universality. We can all relate to their songs and get something from the magical music. I wanted to review White Noise White Heat, but there are so many other tracks on Giants of All Sizes that sort of knock you back and inspire a torrent of emotions. Go and get their album, go and see them live and celebrate a band who are…