London based 4-piece My Preserver formed back in 2007 but it was not until 2012 that their first official release appeared in the form of debut single 'King Jesus'. On the back of such a concise back catalogue the band snagged both XFM plaudits and a Kerrang! magazine feature, in which they were professed as “One of the most exciting – and important – new British bands to emerge this year”. Such hype is always hard to match but the debut album 'Revolutions In The Head' should put any doubters to bed.
It’s hardly a surprise that 'Revolutions In The Head' is one of the stronger debut albums of the year, considering XFM nominated the album for its New Music Award last year - only ever released in a very limited fashion till now. The sound of the album itself has clearly been refined and polished over the years, with the band covering a vast array of styles ranging from the familiar yet redolent 'King Jesus' to the sombre, pensive 'Puzzles'.
It is true that there are constant whisperings of artists such as Muse and Nine Inch Nails but they largely remain just that, whisperings, and never drown out My Preserver's unique sound. That said, the album is also scattered with a certain degree of nostalgia, particularly evinced on the track 'Children Of The Capitalist', replete with Pink Floyd-esque child mantra.
The album kicks off with the thumping debut single 'King Jesus' - the perfect track to showcase what can be expected from the band: angst, energy, killer hooks and the aforementioned savvy lyrics. A piercing highlight on the album comes in the form of 'Terrorist' which manages to pull all its components into perfect symmetry (no Muse pun intended here) with Marcus Plowright’s vocals in full emotive effect.
Music aside, unlike many bands that tend to dabble in hackneyed political lyricisms to conceal their musical shortcomings, My Preserver manage to steer clear of this pitfall, effectively combining dextrous lyrics and well put together melodies. The album covers topics that range from the political ('You Know Something That I Don’t Know') to the environmental ('The Green Wash'), and, as stated, all are perfectly blended with irascible energy.
The band are clearly at arms with current politics - “So long as oil buys you power, I’ll just sit back and watch.” but this never stops listeners from enjoying the music for what it is. The songs stand their ground as more than effective pieces of music which entertain as much as they provoke a moral response.
Album closer 'Loose Change' is a moderately paced riot set to a cyber tinged atmosphere which would have fit perfectly on the latest 'Total Recall' soundtrack. It features a persistently potent guitar hook combined with a spacey synthesizer accompaniment and, although not quite as raw as earlier tracks, brings the album to a solid conclusion.
Producer Premen Underhill (Klaxons, Bloc Party) must also be mentioned as he has managed to exploit the best of each band member without any one drowning out the sound of the band as a whole. Although not entirely original, My Preserver manages to keep everything alive thanks to their effective combination of political contention and perfectly structured melodies. 'Revolutions In The Head' voices angst both verbally and musically and it is highly likely that their message won’t go unheard this year.
'Revolutions In The Head' is available to purchase at amazon.co.uk. Find more info at mypreserver.com.
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