Fat White Family don’t do things by halves, it’s just not in their nature.
More than a decade is now gone, and it’s not been the easiest ten years for the band. Having dealt with a tumultuous range of challenges the rock collective a back, sounding better than they ever did before.
Widely known as being more punk in spirit and attitude than in the sound they make, the south Londoners still build on their instinct for experimenting and the preservation of clever, lofty ambition.
The latest project, their fourth album release ‘Forgiveness Is Yours’, unveils itself as the fierce, transfixing work of a band who are maturing and are ready to show the world how that can manifest itself.
Largely led by electronic sounds, electro pop and industrial, the twelve tracks have lots of variety, both lyrically and musically. With influences such as Serge Gainsbourg, The Birthday Party and Mark E. Smith, it takes little time to realise how addictive this undertaking really is.
First track on the record ‘The Archivist’ is as unexpected as it is suitable as an opener, and it genuinely sets the scene. ‘Polygamy Is Only For the Chief’ is an intense, elaborate industrial feast of Prince-esque vocals and strangely playful keyboard sonics. Extraordinary to say the least.
Centred around themes such as honesty and survival, the highly distinguishable songs are relatable and imaginative. Lyricist, vocalist and author Lias Saoudi delivers some genuinely forceful pieces, while trialling classic literary points of reference. It works.
Moments like the French Pop leaning ‘John Lennon’, an expansive three minutes and some thirty something seconds, sees the frontman convey a short story within a song, ‘Religion For One’ offers a remarkable arrangement and ‘You Can’t Force It’ is a quiet, bitter-sweet finale played on piano.
On this record Fat White Family solidify their status as a one of Britain’s most unique voices, and ‘Forgiveness Is Yours’ is the strongest example yet of the band’s caustic creativity.
8/10
Words: Susan Hansen
