The Maccabees - Spit It Out

With their new album out today (31st July), ‘Spit It Out’ is the final preview arriving ahead of ‘Marks To Prove It’ being released. Sprawling and vacant, the introduction rings with echoes of nostalgia. Haunting drones spiral delicately through a haze, while a sole piano accompanies Orlando Weeks’ melancholy vocals through a dimly-lit daze. After a minute of the delicate and the intangible, just as the spine-chilling melody seems about to cross over into something completely ethereal, ‘Spit It Out’ begins to find its form.

Strident refrains and defined rhythms flesh out and embolden. What starts out seemingly frozen, dainty and demure, soon becomes the force to be reckoned with. Volume rises to a ringing crescendo. The piano melody that was previously so chilling now races alongside searing resounding guitars. Vocals are gripped by a deep fervour. Lavishly cinematic, ‘Spit It Out’ is a vivid portrayal of a group at the end of their tether. Repeatedly quoted saying they weren’t sure this album would ever happen, The Maccabees have been to the edge. “What are we doing now?” the lyrics question over, and over. The answer is evident in the track itself, as cries of “spit it out” meld with searing electric solos and strident chords from a grand piano.

Much like the band have said of the album, there are many reasons why it shouldn’t work. Fortunately, The Maccabees have succeeded in forging a sound that’s purpose-built and ready to infatuate.