‘LET THE MUSIC (TAKE CONTROL)’: 90s BRIT-FAVES THE FARM REEMERGE WITH FIRST ALBUM RELEASE IN THREE DECADES
90s disco babies – this one’s for you.
It’s been a long time coming for much-loved Liverpudlian dance-pop band The Farm, who found their fame in the rave-rampant 90s and have since been sporadically releasing music here, there and everywhere. But they’ve been sitting on their biggest release since 1994 for a while: their highly anticipated fourth studio album, Let The Music (Take Control), produced by Mark Cave (The Charlatans, Bloc Party) and heavily inspired by New York disco and the passing of time. It’s undeniable that, despite there being some patchy points on the record, the overall impression when the tenth and final track fades to an end is one of a revival; The Farm have kept their signature earworm sound whilst integrating into the busy 21st century music world, bringing fans – old and new – back to the dancefloor.
The album’s opening track Forever & Ever immediately packs the band’s signature electro-dance punch. Everything is electronic, energetic and exploratory. When frontman Peter Hooton comes in to sing through the first verse, it feels as though you’ve been transported right back to the Britpop bonanza of the 90s, with his hard, gritty, unapologetic vocals. It must be said that as the track moves through its sections, the mixing can sound a bit off here and there – the volume of the different elements, particularly in the electronic lines, moves from 0 to 100 pretty quickly, making the transitions between sections sound quite brash. However, the collective backing harmonies are truly gorgeous in this song, creating a soft contrast with the rest of the sound and melting with the funky electric guitar lines from Keith Mullin and Steve Grimes – a rocky but promising opener.
Title track Let The Music (Take Control) is up next, opening with a more warped, weird, alien line that shifts the mood and style completely. Then, we’re plunged right into the full sound, with an addictive hook, more of that alien electronica, and a smashing foundation from Roy Boulter on the drums. The bass is the real showstopper in this song; as the verse kicks off, Carl Hunter floods the soundscape with a deep, seductive bassline that carries the track, paired with the newly adventurous vocals from Hooton to create a diverse sound with dynamic sectioning and an undeniable earworm quality. If the phrase ‘dance like nobody’s watching’ were a song, this would be it.
Again, the issue of volume in mixing comes up in third track Feel The Love, but it’s redeemed by its otherwise rich sound, with Mazzy–Star-esque guitar lines and an overall sound reminiscent of Take That. A surprise sax comes in towards the end of the chorus, and even though it’s not typical of this electro style, it totally works, adding more character to this daring dance track. The following number Waiting For The Sun has a Vamps quality to it – if The Vamps were a bit more retro – with a lively, poppy drum and energetic synth lines. The electric guitar in this track is muted and marvellous, coming through in intoxicating, harmonic glimpses and melting into the electronic blanket of sound. Again, collective harmonies are used, clapping and adopting a call-and-response technique that really gets across The Farm’s intentions of bringing people together, inside and out of the world of music. It must be said though that this one gets a bit repetitive as it goes on: a theme throughout the record, despite the fact that the separate songs themselves have lots of individuality.
Fifth track Breathe immediately belongs in a coming of age film, with a youthful flair and observational lyrics, painting a cityscape. The synth keys are spotlighted and soon joined by Hooton, as well as the ever-gorgeous electric guitar; it has such clarity to it in every counter-melody and tasteful inclusion here and there. The chorus is utterly euphoric, with skipping drums, elevated electronic lines, and held vocal notes, supported by a blanket of harmony: an intentional, incredible climax. As the album reaches its second side with That Feeling, The Farm dive into a much grittier sound, with a foundation of whining guitar and earthy bass. The heavy drums really bring this track to life as they jump in and relentlessly test the waters of this more diverse sound, epitomised in the chorus – a highlight point of the whole album. It brings together every element, both musically and emotionally: ‘Ever get that feeling / It all belongs to me.’ In the second verse, they have more fun with sultry harmonies and a killer guitar, establishing this number as a true winner.
Lead single World Without You is up next, and was inspired by the loss of Hooton’s childhood icons, Bowie and Lou Reed; in his youth, he saw these figures as immortal, and a world without them seems impossible, daunting and lifeless. This is one of the more distinctly electronic tracks on the album, a synth-y soundscape, dotted with impacts and spacey lines. However, despite its evocative lyrics, World Without You just doesn’t feel like a single. After the two showstoppers of Breathe and That Feeling, it even sounds a bit boring, not showing off the full breadth of The Farm’s talent.
But of course, they bring the energy right back up with the uplifting Moment In Time, immediately more pop-sounding yet still with that signature 90s core. It’s beachy and different, stripped of electronic heaviness and consistently uplifting. The refrain ‘It’s gonna get you in the end’ clearly puts across lyricist Hooton’s interest in the passing of time. After so long without a studio album release, this really hits home for The Farm, who, instead of shying away from the busy 21st century world of British music, have embraced it fully, recognising how daunting it is and doing it anyway: a holistic, happy celebration of their decades-long career together.
Penultimate track Can’t Stop (Loving You) plunges right back into that dramatic, electronic world, this time with some more classic rock influences coming through. This is clearest in the funky, frenetic electric guitar, Jimmy–Page-esque in its flashiness. The harmonies in the chorus use syncopation to really establish a feel of blissful chaos, with the newfound intensity and irresistibly chantable refrain: ‘Can’t / Can’t / Can’t stop loving you / Can’t / Can’t / Can’t stop hurting you.’ The bridge is even more impressive, following the song’s fast pace into a more metallic arena, founded by the drums which take over the sound completely. This section is adventurous and overwhelming, diversifying the band’s sound and demonstrating their eclectic, exciting mix of influences. There’s no doubt that this would be a fantastic one to hear live.
The record comes to its end with the blissful closing track Eternity, longer than the other numbers as the title would suggest. It’s also much more mellowed and gentle, with an angelic quality that builds and builds as the track goes on. With Grimes’ keys and a rife echo, a spacey musical world is created, soon dotted with single words such as ‘living,’ ‘dreaming,’ and ‘waiting,’ bringing together every theme touched on throughout the album and giving them the spotlight. There’s a clear sense of anticipation in Eternity: hollow strings, raspy vocals, and an electronic water-droplet-esque effect come in gradually, building up and up, yet maintaining that atmosphere of complete calm. It’s experimental yet expert, with each element varying and finding new paths to go down, always reaching the same, harmonic, emotional place: a stunning closer and a triumph overall.
Whilst inconsistent, Let The Music (Take Control) is ultimately such a fun, nostalgic, and exploratory comeback for The Farm, packed with style, daring and their signature disco-classic sound. For the ones who’ve missed this retro bunch, you’re bound to find a new, old-timey fave on this record. But the band have crafted an album that appeals to newer 21st listeners too, mashing together all kinds of genres into one big melting pot of dance fever.
Let The Music (Take Control) is OUT NOW via Modern Sky
