Info: In 2016, Spies followed the release of their acclaimed Sea Creature EP with an extensive tour including several dates with Wolf Alice. After a two year absence from social media and live performances, the band unexpectedly returned with singles 'Young Dad', 'Uriah', 'Ho Chi Minh' and 'Broadstone' earlier this year. Their debut LP 'Constancy' was released on the 23rd of November.
Hands up and the truth be told I haven't had as much time to spend with the debut album Constancy from Dublin alternative quintet SPIES as I would have liked, but singles such as opener 'Ho Chi Minh' and 'Broadstone' which was recently reviewed here, were more than sufficient to whet the appetite to delve deeper.
It'd be hard not to let the fish-hook that is 'Ho Chi Minh' draw your attention with immediacy and tickle your inquisitiveness. A semi-sluggish and cool intro plods along with great efficacy, making the listener board the SPIES train willingly. When you zip back to this single after listening to the album in its entirety you notice lots of little clues about their sound that unfold across the remaining 9 tracks.
A tempo adjustment, 'Young Dad' pours lavish 80's darkwave and synthpop elements into the brew, it's like Gary Numan in his less erratic moments, when he stood back from full-on electronic bombast. The synths are so pleasing, chunky and plonky in equal measure, and the hyper-rattle of the beat at 2:48 is nothing but extremely rewarding.
One of the things that kinda charms the pants off me about Constancy is how its Irishness shines through, and I'm not talking about jigs n' reels here, singer Michael Broderick's vocal is a wonderful example of a modern version of late 80's / early 90's Irish alternative rock music, and musically I can't shake Duran Duran's 'Ordinary World' here. All of that initial jovial braggadocio quickly subsides to a dark electronic underworld, a realm where SPIES reign nobly.
"Arbitrary time with you is something that I'm going through..." opens the excellent 'Broadstone', apathy and world-weariness are the mood du jour here. Small smidgen of Talking Heads' 'Once In A Lifetime' from the outset, but I reckon that's just me. I hate dwelling too much on 'influences', but merely relaying snippets that my own ears spurt forth. There's a weird and wonderful combination of despondency and demand on this track, like an open door welcome, but if you step inside, you agree to participate on the band's terms.
After the post-punk dark skulk of 'Airport Inquests' comes the bubbling yet reflective 'Strange Fast', a definitive highlight on Constancy that is a microcosm of SPIES' sound and modus operandi. You don't normally associate this genre of music with total escapism, yet somehow the band manage to achieve it with their sound and Broderick's authentically sincere vocal. You have two choices here, you can engage with the lyrics, or just detach and go with the current of the music, this is a rare listening experience.
Another single, 'Watchman' arrives, a standard indie-pop intro makes way quickly to a serrated and thick bass-line, the synth and drum-pads are sharp and without frill, giving maximum effect to the determined charge of the track, the number of tempo and mood changes are impressive, it could easily become over-cooked and fall apart in less able hands.
The album's title-track, absolute joy, the first overt toe-dipping into retro-synth, another of many examples on the album that would act as a perfect intro to the band for a new set of ears. I've mentioned it twice already so this will be the last time, I can't think of another vocal-style that would do the music as much justice, it reaches you as a listener directly. And I suppose that's why Constancy has had such a quick impact on me in a short space of time, SPIES cross the bridge between themselves and the listener with absolute ease, and that bridge is a short one.
I wrote the first half of this album review at the start of the week, the second half after seeing them live in The Button Factory last night for its launch. Many moments from last night confirmed some of the traits of this album, there were extremely brief moments where the band members caught each others eyes whilst performing, and you got a sense of sheer relief mixed with joy in every glance. Constancy so nearly didn't happen after their hiatus which almost became permanent in 2016, for me that would have been a terrible shame, and for the packed to the rafters audience last night too I'm sure, because this is easily one of the best Irish albums of 2018 from a band that are operating on a different plain to most of their peers.
'Constancy' the debut album from SPIES was released on the 23rd of November, and is available to purchase on vinyl, CD and download / stream here https://smarturl.it/CONSTANCY
