Album Of The Week: Death From Above 1979’s The Physical World

When a band takes a decade to put out the follow-up to their debut album, it can either ruin high expectations or keep things fresh so they can create a gem. Drum & bass dance-punks Death From Above 1979 have put out The Physical World, the duo’s first album since the release of their debut You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine back in 2004. The new record shows that Toronto musicians Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler haven’t fallen off at all since reuniting in 2011. The thunderous siege of fuzziness and deep tones invade each track like a full-scale assault. Stuff that you can either rock out or dance to, Death From Above 1979’s new album hits on all cylinders for a spectacular reentry to the musical consciousness.

I noticed in The Physical World the tinges of influence from both Grainger & Keeler’s other musical endeavors. After the duo broke up in 2006, Keeler started up the electronic dance music duo MSTRKRFT with Al-P while Grainger embarked on a successful solo career. With the minor electronic effects and the use of guitars in a couple tracks, it’s as if the progression of both musicians’ styles over the years combined to further the classic drum and bass of Death From Above 1979. The new album isn’t as raw sounding as their debut, but The Physical World holds its own by taking risks and not being afraid to change things up.

It’s that time again. Like death and taxes, you can guarantee that you’ll be immersing yourself in the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week:

Starting off the album with a boom, “Cheap Talk” is the light that burns this dynamite of an album. This track is an excellent example of the duo using minor electronic effects with the drum and bass giving the whole song a dose of raw power. A groovy body mover, “Always On” has bass licks that are flat-out ridiculous. I wonder how many blisters Keeler got on his fingers from how many times he played the song during the recording process. Downbeats for days, “Government Trash” is a mosh pit accelerator for the masses. From start to finish this number will get you acting like a human tornado in a  jiffy.

Death From Above 1979 will start a tour of Europe and The United States in October and they’ll blow the roof off of The House Of Blues in Boston on December 2. Until they come to rip apart your friendly neighborhood music venue, get yourself a copy of The Physical World. It’ll rock your socks off so hard that you’ll need a new pair of shoes.

Death From Above 1979’s website: deathfromabove1979.com