Jesu
"Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came"
Avalanche
Release: 23rd September 2013
Over two years in the making, the latest LP from jesu follows the LP ‘Ascension’, the last jesu full length release, which was on the Caldo Verde label, ran by Mark Kozelek, mastermind behind both Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon, this was now over two and a half years ago.
Jesu main-man Justin K Broadrick, has slowly worked at this album during this period whilst retaining activities with the reunited Godflesh, and pursuing other projects and remixes, as is usual for Justin; in this period amongst many, Justin has remixed both Mogwai and Cult Of Luna.
This ‘rest’ period from jesu enabled Justin to focus on what should be the next step for the project - Godflesh’s renewed existence has enabled him to fine tune what jesu now means to him, this LP is less reliant on the shorter guitar lead songs of ‘Ascension’, and instead looks further inward to reveal a deeper, sombre but more dynamic musical experience than 2011’s ‘Ascension’.
Beginning with ‘Homesick’, with it’s guitar hooks, shoegaze textures and familar jesu sound, one can be mislead into considering that this new album will follow a familiar jesu trajectory but instead the following tracks use jesu’s aesthetic but take in dub, post punk and electronica along the way, to create maybe the most dynamic jesu album to date, possibly recalling the ‘Silver’ EP from 2006.
The epic ‘The Great Leveller’, at over 17 minutes, is the boldest statement of the songs here-featuring the albums only other player besides Justin, Nicola Manzan, who commands a one man orchestra of strings, a new and welcomed feature, the song also lyrically deals with the existential drain that is early parenthood, since Justin became a Father for the first time just before beginning work on this LP, and this life changing experience is mostly what this album examines thematically.
The album is mastered by James Plotkin, and was recorded and mixed at Avalanche Studio - the studio owned by Justin K Broadrick.
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