Being a newcomer to London, I only discovered Elephant & Castle very recently on route to a visit to the Imperial War Museum. I think it is fair to say the area isn't tremendously appealing to the eye, nor particularly inspiring. Having said that, it's the location of formation for one of the UK's best and quite frankly, under-rated bands. Proud of their roots despite themselves calling it 'not eye catching', they struggled to get a grip on what their new record should be. It turns out the required inspiration came from the most uninspiring of places, home. In particular, the Faraday memorial on Elephant and Castle roundabout. Marks to Prove it is the bands fourth LP. At this point I should probably mention that the previous effort, 'Given to the Wild' is an incredible record and for me one of the best of the decade. High hopes followed... But also that overwhelming feeling that they couldn't top what they produced 3 years ago.
My verdict is this: Marks to Prove it is another glorious set of songs. Compared to other contemporary bands of the same genre, you can really feel the thought, warmth and care that goes into the album. Little touches such as the horns solo in the closing track, really add depth. The songwriting is as strong as ever, and instrumentally it is a balanced and consistent album. The soothing quality of Orlando Weeks' voice is what always draws me in to a Maccabees album, however. Especially on the more intimate moments. The verses on 'Kamakura' demonstrate this perfectly, sounding similar to Matt Berninger from The National at times. 'Silence', 'Pioneering Systems' and closer 'Dawn Chorus' also show off the hugely satisfying gentles tones of Orlando Weeks' voice.
However, The Maccabees have always loved a good single, and there are a couple here to keep the part time fans (not having a dig there!) more than happy. 'Marks to Prove it' sounds to me like the ultimate blend of everything they have produced. The rawness of the early days and the refined production of the more recent years. The song even follows that mould with it's to-ing and fro-ing from fast and slow tempo's. 'Something like Happiness' is another single, coming in at track 8. A highlight from the album, it's vocal delivery being a delight, along with it's blend of soaring instrumentation towards the end. As this song closes out, you really feel the band have peaked on the album. 'Spit it Out', is another single and one that took me by surprise. Different in its delivery, this track is more aggressive than anything to date. The guitars, bass and indeed the vocals are frenzied here, pushing the band away from the norm of prestine production.
So could this collection of tracks match the lush, mindblowing serenity of most of 'Given to the Wild'? For me, the answer is no. As mentioned above, this is a good collection of songs but as an album it doesn't quite have the same affect. Whilst the album hold it's own no problem, you do feel like the ideas are more sporadic and random than previous efforts. Ultimately, that comes to light when you play the album in full from beginning to end. This isn't to say the Maccabees have gone backwards, just that they had a clearer concept of what they wanted their record to be in the past. I defy anyone to listen to 'Feel to Follow', 'Ayla', 'Glimmer' and 'Forever I've Known' in sequence and argue the new music is superior. I like Marks to Prove It, but the special atmosphere on 'Given to the Wild' isn't quite there.
The Maccabees next album will be a huge one and will define what they shall be remembered for and ultimately, for how long.
7/10
