Sometimes what you want isn’t what you need, but in the case of the thrilling new album from Maxïmo Park, both in fact, ring true.
Frontman Paul Smith takes it one step further with the line “When you get the thing you want / but it’s not the thing you need / you disrupt the stream of life / and restlessness impedes”. The intriguing line in the title track of Maxïmo Park’s eighth studio album and pretty much describes the ethos of the album in one fell swoop.
‘Stream Of Life’ was inspired by a short story by Ukrainian-born Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector which ponders why people do the things that they do and how there’s an inner flow to every individual – ‘a stream of life’ which leads to a myriad of questions ensuing which can be felt and heard throughout the album. In fact, the album has been heavily influenced by some of their literary influences.
From ‘What is my place?’ to ‘Have I done things right in the past?’Maxïmo Park leaves no stone unturned as they dig deep and ask all those essential and existential questions. Yes, there’s the emotional intensity that the band are synonymous with, but throughout it’s uplifting and life-affirming. Sometimes, we don’t have the answers we are looking for, but that’s ok.
Produced by Grammy-winning producer Ben Allen and recorded in Athens, Georgia, the trio are comfortable in their own skin, but are forever evolving and are in the mood to celebrate. Opening track ‘You Are Your Own Worst Enemy’ with its sing-along chorus ‘Here comes that horrible feeling. You are your own worst enemy’’ tells the story of the world-weary narrator who can’t quite seem to not make the same mistakes over and over again.
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It’s widely regarded that ‘insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’ but some say that repetition is the essence of creativity. This is especially true with ‘You Are Your Own Worst Enemy’ which has all the trademarks of the crunching guitars and soaring choruses of Maxïmo Park’s expansive back catalogue.
From the micro (individual deliberations) to the macro which can be found on ‘No Such Thing As A Society’, sees Paul Smith take the infamous quote from former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and deliberates the state of the world. Despite the scathing soundbites and lyrical bleakness, it’s still touchingly uplifting and is a vital piece of social and political commentary.
In fact, largely the album is centered around the band documenting the world around them as they reach their forties. They leave it all there for the taking – passion, privilege and even politics. The passage of time is referenced in the nostalgic-sounding ‘Favourite Songs’ with the line ‘My Best Years are behind me, but I’ll be damned if I am giving up’ feels almost Bowie-esque and has some wry touches such as with the lines “Am I able to sit at the big boys table? / Or shall I just stare at my middle?” The track then segues into how we can just share “our favourite songs” and “all of our troubles will fade away”.
Pylon singer Vanessa Briscoe Hay brings the fire with her guest vocals on the high octane ‘Dormant ’Til Explosion’ which is a thrill-a-minute lyrical trade off between Smith and Vanessa’s delightful Georgian tones.
The theme of human connection is explored in ‘The End Can’t Be as Good as the Start’ and how ‘it’s better to be close than to be apart’. Togetherness is everything and whilst we’ll always have an internal battle about what we want from life, but Maxïmo Park encourages us to ask all the right questions and to trust in oneself that you will always find the answers you are looking for.
‘Stream of Life’ is a reflective, uplifting and intelligent album that stands out in the Maxïmo Park canon and is full of texture, soaring melodies and sagacious storytelling and lyrics.
8/10
Words: Emma Harrison // @emmahwriter
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