Meursault are back with their third LP Something For The Weakened, a release that has been eagerly anticipated here since Neil Pennycook and Co. performed some of the tracks in a session for The Waiting Room a good while back. Thankfully, the basic template in place then has carried through to the full release, with a sound that fully supports and enhances Pennycook’s awesome (used fully in the traditional sense) vocal efforts.
Much has been said in other reviews (I’m a little late to the party) of the pros and cons of Meursault switching from their electronic-based leanings to the rich and clear sound of SFTW, a point of debate that, while interesting, is not really needed. Pennycook’s songwriting and voice excel regardless of what is behind him. On Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, ‘A Few Kind Words’ was a standout for the urgent lyrics. Now, the sound has changed but the clever and cathartic lyrics remain. If anything we should welcome the variation.
I think the true appeal of Meursault is the way that they manage to balance everything across the songs. There are sincerely restrained songs (for example ‘Mamie’) and there are songs with a bit of a ‘fuck off’ attitude (‘Settling’ and ‘Hole’). It takes quality writing to pull off emotion without the trite, to achieve plain-speaking honesty without sounding pompous. Cliches are circumnavigated with care. Pennycook captures a wide range of feelings and the narratives/themes appear all the more human and realistic as a result. I find myself banging on about this idea when writing about my favourite songs; if something is believable, if something truly meant, I feel the quality of the music increases exponentially.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/48752114″]
Something For The Weakened is available from Song By Toad Records, along with a rather extravagant (but reasonably priced) deluxe edition. Stream ‘Flittin’ above or head over to This Is Fake DIY for a full listen. If you are new to Meursault then pick up the previous records here too.
Ha, fucking ha.