I have lost track of how many times I have played this album attempting to work out what is going on and whether it is worth the effort, and I must confess that I have gone from really disliking it to instead think there may actually be a nugget of gold to be found here, but I am not sure how many more plays it will take for that nirvana to be reached. It has been five years since ‘No Good To Anyone’, and here they are back with their fourteenth official studio album. It was written by Steve Austin who handles guitar, vocals, electronics, and Moog Sub37, with touring members Colin Frecknall on drums/percussion and Tom Jack on bass. Several guests are also featured on several tracks. “Psychic Wound” sees Aaron Polk performing drums, and “Secret Police” sees David Brenner (Gridfailure) supplying additional vocals and synth and Mac Gollehon (live/session brass for David Bowie, Onyx, Blondie, Héctor Lavoe) performing trumpet and trombone. Given my love for everything involving both Dave Brenner and Mac Gollehon, I probably gave this more of an opportunity to burrow into my psyche than I normally would, and I am glad I did.
This release is the first of a two-part concept which has conceived and created as one body of music, bringing cinematic and psychedelic motifs together with a metallic core. It is this approach which caused me so many issues as initially it felt that the metal was being played at, no real drive or inhibitions, as if it was being artificially created as opposed to being the real deal, but the more I have played this the more I have realised there is a dark underground melancholy in the approach which neatly fits in with the dystopian feel which pervades this. This is not easy music to listen to, even though it is never as extreme as the likes of Gridfailure, but part of that is the emotion being created by the music which is both mainstream and totally independent and underground. If CBGB’s was still around I can imagine Today is the Day being as important at the venue in the 21st Century as Ramones were fifty years ago.
This is never an immediate album, but somehow the riffs and melodies get inside the brain and after a while one starts to appreciate what is going on, but for me it did take some considerable time and effort, but it was worth the time, as somehow the off-key and low-key dramatic approach has far more depth than one would imagine after playing just once. I kept being reminded of Tom Waits, even though this sounds nothing like him at all, so my subconscious must be picking up a style or approach which my frontal lobe has yet to agree with. This will need perseverance but is interesting and creeps up on you slowly.
Rating: 7/10
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