Any band that calls an album ‘Suicide Songs’ is almost certainly setting themselves up for a fall – if not physically then artistically. It takes an extraordinary writer to powerfully convey one of the darkest corners of the human psyche.
Consequently, one could be sceptical about the dreamy Manchester trio Money, the latest act to, on surface inspection, romanticise immolation of the soul. If anything, though, they do the opposite. Frontman Jamie Lee balances a knife on his forehead on the cover art but, looking closely, it never makes the final cut.
‘Suicide Songs’ is a loud and beautiful record, a slow-burning cacophony of emotions and crushing noise, but it never feels truly despairing. Utilising more psychedelic influences than on their debut, the band typically employ only a few distinct chords on most tracks.
There’s no doubt that Lee’s lyrics frequently deal with themes of isolation and detachment – he even yearns for the wholeness of death on opening track I Am the Lord, lamenting: “I just don’t want to be human anymore.” The hitch is that the music frequently fights back, with the band’s bright melodies cutting through the depressive fog.
Very few bands are capable of mastering this blend of catharsis and melodrama. The closest modern comparison probably a post-rock band like Sigur Ros, but the key difference with Money is that their mood-setting and lyricism are often antithetical.
Out of context, a track like I’m Not Here sounds positively life-affirming. Opening on ascending vocal harmonies and a reverberant guitar lead, the song feels more like a hands aloft anthem than an ode to oblivion.
Elsewhere, Night Came sees the band play with a more crescendo-based structure, instrumentally fizzing into a wild climax that’s exacerbated by Lee’s glossolalic vocals. The result feels akin to a Pentecostal worship service; an overwhelming mix of spirituality and spontaneity.
The main criticism that could be levelled at the band’s approach is that production-wise ‘Suicide Songs’ is reliant on its droning qualities. There are points where Lee is literally screaming to the high heavens, yet it’s rendered hollow by a lack of invention behind him.
If it’s not quite a carefully constructed art-rock masterpiece, ‘Suicide Songs’ is at least infinitely more compelling than the band’s debut. This maturity (and brutal intensity) may stem from the rough road to this record that Lee has spoken about in interviews, but that doesn’t fully explain the band’s meticulous commitment to balancing the raw with the aesthetic.
Money leave a lot of things open to interpretation but a few things are certain: ‘Suicide Songs’ doesn’t glamorise suicide and it doesn’t serve as a soundtrack to it, but it does feel transcendent.
Money Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu February 18 2016 - BIRMINGHAM Hare and Hounds
Fri February 19 2016 - BRISTOL Lantern
Sat February 20 2016 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
Mon February 22 2016 - LONDON Village Underground
Tue February 23 2016 - BRIGHTON Green Door Store
Fri April 22 2016 - MANCHESTER Ritz
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