By Henry Alberts
Staff Writer
“Sick Scenes” by Los Campesinos conveys a certain sense of maturity and misery through both rock instrumentation and soft instrumentals that work together to create an enjoyable album.
The album’s brilliance comes in the form of an overarching theme of morbid, mentally-ill adulthood, which is augmented by a fantastic drummer and addictive lyrics that emphasize how uncertain the future is.
“Sick Scenes” is Los Campesinos’ sixth album, produced by John Goodmanson and guitarist Tom Campesinos. The album itself was produced in a parish of Amarante, Portugal (which lends its name to the track “I Broke Up In Amarante”), and features new bassist Matt Campesinos.
The shining light of “Sick Scenes” is the mature tone it utilizes, from the track “A Slow, Slow Death” examining the relationship between a depressed person and their partner, to “The Fall of Home” ruminating on the escape of childhood. It unifies the album perfectly as almost a cohesive story.
There is the other running theme of Gareth Campesinos’ own depression. The tracj “5 Flucloxacillin” discusses his abuse of self-medication for most of his life; “I Broke Up In Amarante” is him trying to come to terms with what he cannot control. It’s an interesting look that evokes sympathy and sorrow in the listener.
Jason Campesinos deserves mention for his brilliant drumming. The gentle beat in of “A Litany/Heart Swells” evokes a gray feeling for a slow song; meanwhile, he completes the stadium rock feeling of “Renato Dall’Ara (2008)”. Jason’s drumming is a main driving force for the album’s musical greatness.
The lyrics are well-crafted as well due to their complex nature. For example, “I Broke Up in Amarante” uses the refrain of ‘It seems unfair’ to emphasize how life with depression makes someone see life in bleak terms, with other songs executing similar patterns flawlessly.
“Sick Scenes” is a beautiful rock album, emphasizing its points with fantastic lyrics, an entertaining drum beat, and a dark, depressing tone. Any fan of the band should listen to the album.
“Sick Scenes” was was released February 2014, 2017, and is available on various music platforms and in stores nationwide.
Leave a Reply