Death From Above 1979 - Is 4 Lovers

We all know the story by now: back in 2004 Death From Above 1979 released their boundary-breaking debut, were catapulted to the higher echelons of cult status, and promptly broke up after just two years. But even since the pair reunited in 2011 - having subsequently released two albums - they’ve yet to really escape the shadow of their monstrous effort ‘You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine’. It’s with their newest offering, ‘Is 4 Lovers’, that they seem to be attempting to do just that. While their brand of ferocious dance-punk explodes into exhilarating life with the opening one-two punch of ‘Modern Guy’ and ‘One+One’, it’s during the record’s latter half that they seem intent to push the boundaries of their own musical blueprint. The heady charge of ’N.Y.C Power Elite Part 1’ is swapped for mid-paced piano in ‘Love Letter’, while Sebastian Grainger coos through the opening verse of ‘Mean Streets’, before blistering drums kick in and seize unexpected control. An album which sees the pair attempt to build upon the mythology of their past - and reclaim a little of it, too - it’s a move that largely pays off.