Album Review: LIFE – 'A Picture of Good Health'
LIFE get personal on their sophomore record ‘A Picture of Good Health’.
LIFE’s debut Popular Music was a blistering art-punk album fuelled by political lyrics and vigorous music. In their second full-length release, a similar formula has been used. However, after an “intense four week recording period”, LIFE have written from a more personal perspective on A Picture of Good Health: “[… it is] more personal, about mental health and inner turmoil”. And from the sarcastic opener ‘Good Health’, you can tell straight away that this is the case. Follow this up with ‘Half Pint Fatherhood’ and you know that the band have really taken the time to self-examine and -reflect in order to create a masterpiece. As Mez says: “The songs are about single fatherhood and mental health. Do people sing about that stuff? I don’t think they do.” And he’s right.
If you heard the previously released singles, such as ‘Moral Fibre’ and ‘Hollow Thing’, then you won’t be disappointed by A Picture of Good Health. It’s classic LIFE. However, the stand out tracks must be ‘Never Love Again’ - a funky bass riff that sets the foundation for an equally funky song. But, the unsettling whispers and epic outro make this very different any other funk song. And ‘Thoughts’ – a moody post-punk piece with fantastically funny lyrics: “I was thinking of building a church in a third world country/…/I was thinking I would document it on Twitter and Instagram and talk about it constantly” and a huge and emotive chorus.
A Picture of Good Health is intelligently written, lyrically and musically. But LIFE still opt for big choruses and great hooks. They pack so much energy and detail into each song, which is amazing as each song is two to three minutes long. There’s no bull shit here. This is LIFE.
Words by Matthew Brocklehurst
Live Dates
Mon 23, September – Rough Trade, Bristol UK
Tue 24, September – Rough Trade, Nottingham UK
Thurs 26, September – Rough Trade East, London UK
Sun 29, September - MTC, Cologne DE
Mon 30, September - Molotow, Hamburg DE
Sat 5, October - Musik & Frieden, Berlin DE
Sun 6, October - Hydrozagadka, Warsaw PL
Mon 7, October - Famu, Prague CZ
Tues 8, October - Kranhallen, Munich DE
Thurs 10, October - Dynamo Werk 21, Zurich CH
Sat 12, October - Freakout, Bologna IT
Tues 15, October - Costello Club, Madrid ES
Wed 16, October - Sidecar, Barcelona ES
Thurs 17, October - L’Espace, Paris FR
Fri 18, October - Aeronef, Lille FR
Sat 19, October - Left of the Dial Festival, Rotterdam NL
Sun 20, October - Cinetol, Amsterdam NL
Mon 21, October - Kavka, Antwerp BE
Thurs 24, October - Phase One, Liverpool UK (*)
Sat 26, October - Bootleg Social, Blackpool UK (*)
Sun 27, October - YES, Manchester UK (*)
Mon 28, October - Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds UK (*)
Tues 29, October - Fulford Arms, York UK (*)
Wed 30, October - King Tuts, Glasgow UK (#)
Fri 1, November - Tunnels, Aberdeen UK (#)
Sat 2, November - Think Tank, Newcastle UK (^)
Mon 4, November - Sugarmill, Stoke UK (^)
Tues 5, November - Cookie, Leicester UK (^)
Wed 6, November - Moth Club, London UK (w/ Italia90)
Thurs 7, November - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff UK (#)
Fri 8, November - West End Centre, Aldershot UK (^)
Sun 10, November - Anvil, Bournemouth, UK (^)
Mon 11, November - Green Door Store, Brighton UK (^)
Tues 12, November - Joiners, Southampton UK (^)
Wed 13, November - Forum, Tunbridge Wells UK (^)
Thurs 14, November - Horn, St Albans UK (w/ Fiende Fatale)
Fri 15, November - Crauford Arms, Milton Keynes UK
Weds 4, December – Academy 2, Dublin IRE
Thurs 5, December – McHughs Basement, Belfast UK
Fri 6, December – Kasbah Club, Limerick UK
w/ support from:
* = Faux Pas
^ = Night Flowers
# = New Meds