Maximo Park - Graffiti

Wed 1st Jun, 2005 in Music Reviews

To tell you the truth, I’m quite disappointed by this newest offering from Maximo Park. I loved The Coast Is Always Changing and The Night I Lost My Head, but this release, Graffiti, leaves something to be desired.

Sure, the build-up is there, and it is an energetic and raucous song, but it lacks the sombre feel of other Maximo Park releases. It is precisely that element, along with their new wave feel, which sets the band aside from other indie rock (oh, sorry, make that “art rock” – that’s the label that is most frequently used to describe Maximo Park) outfits.

Vocalist Paul Smith sounds fantastic, as always. It takes some talent to be able to pull off a nonsensical line such as “I’ll do graffiti and you’ll sing to me in French”.

What is most frustrating is that there is technically nothing wrong with this song. It’s upbeat and there is a slight psychedelic feel thanks to the inclusion of an organ… but it just doesn’t connect as much as the previous releases.

By no means have I lost faith in this band, and I’m sure there are lots of people who would vehemently disagree with the sentiments expressed in this review, but I just expected something more impacting, in a way that has nothing to do with volume.