A dollop of industrial bass opens ‘Hysterical Strength’ – the debut album from Yorkshire art rockers Deadletter – as ‘Credit to Treason’ combines frantic drums with blues-meets-grunge guitars and a warning that ‘It’s a futile investment to tempt it with patience’. It then moves into a more jerky, Folly Group-esque sound as the band sing ‘You’re a credit to treason’ over and over again. This wonky pop feel continues through ‘More Heat! – although there are welcome jazz interludes courtesy of what’s to become Deadletter’s trademark sax breaks.
‘Bygones’ is an alt-rock anthem with talk of devils, grim features and saints – painting a distinctive picture around mortality is also a continuing trend – before moving onto lost love, while ‘A Haunting’ reminded us of The Cribs, albeit with a supernatural tone: ‘Cries out for an exorcist, makes a crucifix with arms’. ‘It Flies’ opens with a blast of brass before descending into freeform jazz while the lyrics take aim at our screen-led world and the horrors we face every day: ‘The unrepentant flicker of a television set’.
The gothic title track has a relatable world weariness at its heart – ‘It’s hard to fathom energy’ – and ‘Deus Ex Machina’ opens with a line about stand-ups and lay-lows before moving into a dark skiffle. ‘Practise Whilst You Preach’ has a more experimental opening alongside words about clowns and opening Heaven’s gate (could there be a link?) and these religious connotations follow on through the rhythmic chanting of ‘Mere Mortal’ and closing, prophetic ‘Auntie Christ’, which opens with the line ‘I saw the devil’ before warning ‘Only when he had fallen, could he truly rise.
The debut album from Deadletter lives up to its title with black humor and forceful vigour running through every song.
