It’s been three – or thereabouts – years since All the Saints debut noise-fest Fire on Corridor X. They now offer us a new rebooted version of their fuzz laden – some call it ‘shoegaze’ – intelli-rock. It sounds like the Atlanta trio have worked hard on this outing and it seems they expect the same of the listener. It’s like an open challenge in this world of quick fix musical immediacy. The big question then: does it work?

Opener Half Red, Half Way is a magnificent slab of dirty riff, pushy rhythm and lost vocals. It drives and veers and ultimately crashes just in the right place. The intention on this release was, in the words of guitar man and singer Matt Lambert: “To say something.” Something is definitely being said here, but don’t expect to hear it too often. The vocals often give in to the musical monster surrounding them.

The monster in question here is two-headed – formed of drummer Jim Crook and bassist Jim Titus. They are, in a word, formidable. A highlight here is the track EIO. The woozy guitar is so vertigo inducing it should maybe come with a warning about driving or operating heavy machinery while listening.

Buster, at the end of the album, is a comparatively easy listen. It consolidates any semblance of melody and structure that came before it, while still holding the torch for spiky, agitated noises. A sign surely that album number three will, and can, only build on the foundations already laid. So, we ask again: does it work?

The answer is yes and no. In places it soars and in places it gets stuck in grungy waters. Overall though it makes you wonder what comes next. That should be enough to make you at least try this and at most try the next installment from All the Saints.

-Steve Manser Knight-