Johnny Foreigner - Grace And The Bigger Picture

Difficult second album? Pfft. As if. The Birmingham noise-pop trio seem as though they had an absolute whale of a time recording this. ‘Grace And The Bigger Picture’, in the words of the band (Alexei Berrow, Kelly Southern and Junior Elvis Washington Laidley – guitarist, bassist and drummer respectively) themselves, is ‘a ‘band on tour’ album’; each of the record’s fifteen tracks were written whilst on the road, supporting last year’s debut full-length, the stunning ‘Waited Up Til It Was Light’.

This is reflected in the subject matter too. Whereas ‘Waited Up’ was all about Birmingham itself, ‘Bigger Picture’ is very much about the band’s experiences on tour last year. It certainly sounds like a more ‘mature’ record. However, those of you who are expecting a completely different band to the Johnny Foreigner of 2008 should stop reading now: the band have definitely moved on, yet at the same time still sound like themselves; it is a natural progression from the debut.

The thing that strikes you most about this album is how much there is on there. Some would look at the tracklist and say, “Fifteen tracks? Fuck this, too long.” Au contraire. ‘Grace And The Bigger Picture’ epitomises brevity. Bar two tracks, the album is comprised of sub-two minute songs. Not much room to get bored on here, then.

Things get off to a suitably frantic start with the opening combo of ‘Choose Yr Side And Shut Up!’ and ‘Security To The Promenade’. The former begins with a cry of ‘And it starts like this’, before an excellent riff comes in, heralding a simple yet astoundingly effective opener: two choruses, two verses, solo, all in less than two minutes. The latter shows us that lyricist Alexei has not lost his touch: ‘Let this burn itself out / We’ll all stay warm somehow’. It also features some vocal interplay between Kelly and Junior, and seems to come screeching to an abrupt halt, before a reprise of the main riff ushers in the final chorus.

There are quieter moments here too, ones that allow the listener to take a breather. ‘Bigger Picture’ is quite a chaotic listen, and barely ever lets up. When it does, however, we get some memorable softer moments, like ‘I’llchoosemysideandshutup, Alright’, an almost ballad-like song. We also get ‘(Graces)’. Note the brackets; it seems that the band intended this to be an interlude of some sort. It runs for just 40 seconds, and is the closest the record gets to a fully acoustic song, like ‘DJs Get Doubts’ off the debut. This is quite a shame, as ‘(Graces)’ is one of the standout tracks here. It features some standout lyrics too (‘Trading heartbreak for sentiment, like paying the rent’).

This is very much the complete package: we have the uptempo songs that the band are best known for (like current single ‘Criminals’, ‘Dark Harbourzz’ and ‘Ghost The Festivals’), and more reflective moments, as well as some new elements thrown in, like the counterparts of ‘More Heart, Less Tongue’ - quite clearly about touring (‘So London might as well be Glasgow / Might as well be Tokyo, or any place, we’re almost leaving’) - and ‘More Tongue, Less Heart’ - an instrumental.

One thing about Johnny Foreigner has definitely remained the same, however, and it’s this: they really do know how to close an album. ‘The Coast Was Always Clear’ is, quite simply, sensational, on a par with, or even better than, ‘Absolute Balance’. There are many good riffs to be found on ‘Bigger Picture’, but the one that opens proceedings on ‘Coast’ will ensure that the song will go down as a classic amongst fans. Boasting one of the strongest climaxes of any song this year, it ends in suitably chaotic fashion, the call of ‘Some summers! Some summers!’ (an extremely well-executed reprise of lead single ‘Feels Like Summer’’s hook), bringing the curtain down on what may just be the band’s finest song to date.

The album is just shy of 36 minutes long. Johnny Foreigner say so much, in so little time. Their melody-writing has definitely improved. And once again: ‘The Coast Was Always Clear’ is nothing short of sensational. It really needs to be heard to be believed. ‘Waited Up Til It Was Light’ was a collection of songs; ‘Grace And The Bigger Picture’ feels like a proper album. The band went into the sessions with a concept, and it’s strengthened the cohesion exponentially.

In other words: This is a truly wonderful record.