Skunk Anansie– ‘Black Traffic’ (Boogooyamma)
‘Black Traffic’ – the band’s sixth full-length release, named after “the dark channels that wrap around the world”, is the band’s third album after they got back together in 2009 after a nine-year hiatus. The album signals a few changes in approach of Skunk Anansie the new album written over a year and a half of month long sessions in London and LA, once the band had re-worked every song to satisfaction. Now armed with a fresh song-writing approach, called on long-time friend of the band the great Chris Sheldon, (Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro) to hit the ‘studio’; it’s an album that stands alongside the aggressive, forthright output of the Skunk Anansie cannon yet “technically ups their game dramatically. as Skin herself explains,”…We recorded everything quite separately so we could sample things and turn them upside down. Our main task was to keep the music vibrant and to not lose any emotion or feeling, but to still be able to go buck wild with our ideas.”
That’s not the only aspect in the world of Skunk Anansie to change, as the new album will also act as an introduction to Boogooyamma – the group’s newly established record label. The label will release ‘Black Traffic’ as its inaugural output, realising a long-held ambition of the band’s to maximise creative control and “finally [be] out of the hands of others”. It exemplifies Skunk Anansie’s progressive approach. Fait to say they have been fairly industrious of late, now that we are up-to-speed, only fair to focus on the music
The first of elven track ‘I Break You’ is full blooded, vocal buried within the song, but just as I muse that the band have gone darker a smidgen more subdued as if on a mission, along rolls the engaging ‘Sad Sad Sad’ which remind s me of their One Little Indian days, back then their stage performances were renowned, during the NME Awards Tour, they were clearly the best, expect Sad sad Sad, will be a live regular, if there is any justice, A change of styles the driving and enjoyable Spit You Out’ shines even flirts with a hint of grunge (but not time, just yet for the gingham shirts). The laid back, orchestrated ‘Hope You Meet Your Heroes’ has wide appeal, a daytime radio-friendly song.
The wronged ‘Believed in You’ is another single in waiting for at least me. ‘Black Traffic’ works on more than one level, the sound writing approach tweaks, multi-layering music styles, riffs, even vocals patches tailor made od each track. It lifts say ‘Satisfied?’ or ‘Our Simmer Kills The Sun’ to even greater appeal, everything here works, no fat, loads of musical additives, take ‘This Is Not A Game’ which shows off the emotional charged vocal of Skin’s vocals always impressive. Although the rock quartet will need some backing vocalists I’d hop to pull off ‘Sticky Fingers In Your Honey’ live, which i would like to see. ‘Black Traffic’ is a landmark release for multiply reasons, above all though, is the song-writing, ‘then the mixing sessions’, All elven tracks are well crafted and realised.Skunk Anansie in 2013? Hell, yes. ‘Black Traffic’ is a tour de force. 9/1o
Steve Janes