New Music: Death From Above 1979

By Sonny Sachdeva, September 18 2014 —

From the moment the rolling hi-hats kick in on the album’s opening track, sputtering underneath a jarring bass line thick with distortion, it’s clear that Death From Above 1979 has returned in all of their cult-classic glory.

Ten long years after the release of their first album, You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine, the Canadian duo has granted their fans’ decade-long wish with a new and blindingly energetic album titled The Physical World.

Just as their first album carved out its own niche, the group’s newest tracks prove that they have a sound all their own.

While much of the album feels as though it could have been plucked from 2004, many of the songs display the duo’s growth.

The time apart served both Sebastian Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler well, as the influence of their intermediary projects can be heard intertwining their signature sound. “Right On, Frankenstein!” and “White Is Red” feature a vocal style to Grainger’s recent solo work and the album’s title track allows Keeler’s electronica style to sneak in.

The album’s first single, “Trainwreck 1979,” endures as the album’s true gem. As Grainger’s voice cuts effortlessly with the words “I was born on the highway, in a trainwreck,” one can’t help but feel the captivating attraction to the band’s sound that first drew in fans. As the distortion takes over and the cymbals crash, the song closes with Grainger desperately repeating “I can’t get enough.” And after such a satisfying end to a long wait, it’s hard not to echo the sentiment.