Album Review: Spring King - ‘A Better Life’
It’s a resounding return from Spring King as they mark a new chapter with their sophomore album.
The Manchester quartet return with their sophomore album ‘A Better Life’, two years after the release of their debut. With more fervour and energy than ever before, it’s fourteen tracks of tangible energy that sparks and fizzes without a sign of slowing down.
After a brief atmospheric introduction, listeners are plunged headfirst into the unforgivingly raucous ‘Animal’. Dripping with attitude, snarky vocals taunt “What are you waiting for?” whilst snarling guitars add to the tension underneath. There’s an untamed edge in the searing intensity of the track that brings in a hint of the band’s energetic live shows, and in doing so, it taps into the feral side of human nature. An effortless transition into ‘Ready For War’ propels the listener into another energetic number, as rousing vocal harmonies in the chorus will get your heart pumping.
Lively ‘Let’s Drink’ adds in a dash of Britpop into it’s melodies, and is sure to be an anthem for introverts with it’s chorus “I wanna dance on my own tonight. I wanna drink on my own tonight. Just wanna be alone in life”. Meanwhile, ‘Paranoid’ brims with tension and suspense as it’s title suggests. Tense piano chords clash with an apprehensive bass riff, creating a brooding mood that rests under the track and making this one of their darker tracks. The dynamic ‘The Hum’ borders on chaos with it’s vigorous riffs and tireless drumming, a track that will undoubtedly translate well live.
There’s more of a commentary in ‘Us VS Them’, where the lyrics are ambiguous enough that they can be moulded to the listener’s personal situation yet still convey the band’s concern about the changing world around them. The social commentary continues in ‘Echo Chamber’, whilst ‘No More’ is more of a call to arms with it’s encouragement to “Rise, rise, rise up”.
On the surface, the album is a feel-good journey with it’s mellifluous melodies and upbeat rhythm, but a deeper delve into the lyrics will reveal it to be much more than that, and hints at a darkness and uneasiness that preoccupies the band’s mind. Don’t let that stop you putting your dancing shoes on though, as the album are full of tracks that demand to be danced along to. ‘A Better Life’ is an energetic force to be reckoned with, full of zest and fire, and it’s an album you’ll want to listen to over and over again.
Words by Athena Kam