THEIR BEST ONE YET: THE AMAZONS BEAUTIFUL NEW RECORD 21ST CENTURY FICTION
ALBUM REVIEW | THE AMAZONS – 21st CENTURY FICTION by Isobel O’Mahony
The Amazons have been an underdog of the indie rock scene for the past decade, producing bangers that often go under the radar. But their recently released fourth record, 21st Century Fiction, is nothing seen before from the ‘Zons. Speaking to Northern Exposure Mag in March, lead singer Matt Thomson denied this release as a concept record, but this collection tells an undeniable story – the story of a band discovering themselves at their best.
21st Century Fiction is an incredible record. It’s not mindless rock music, there is an intention behind every well produced moment. From beginning to end, as a clear chronological record, there are surprises and unexpected developments that take the album even further. It’s darker, more hard hitting both lyrically and musically and has really instilled their legacy as artists.
First track “Living a Lie” opens the record to a transcendent, gospel sound. It’s reminiscent of sounds used by the Verve in the Urban Hymns days with stunning orchestral qualities that have you questioning what’s going to come next. This is followed by a dive into dark bass – an incredibly strong track to open on. Long awaited tune “Night After Night” is a brilliant insight into the album, with falsetto vocals scattered throughout and a perfectly comprised bridge.
There is a continuing string of country elements throughout some of the tracks. “Wake Me Up” and “Love is a dog from Hell” seem like red-herrings at a glance, but all make sense from the view of the whole record. The mix of falsetto vocals, twisted upbeat country twang whilst still having incredibly heavy production. It melds somehow seamlessly into the classical rock and puts Thomsons stellar vocals on show.
“My Blood”,“The Heat” and “Heaven Now” are clear live gig winners, you can only imagine the response from crowds on their impending tour. The sounds of this album comes so naturally to the band, and the latter is probably the lightest track of the album with a twisted guitar but still that heavy lyrical element. The final track, “Go All The Way”, is simply stunning. Dramatic, reflective and all around beautiful. With a piano break that melts into clean cut rock, it’s a perfect end to such a strong record.
Throughout the album are intermissions to introduce the main tunes. “Panic”, “Shake Me Down” and “Intermission” act as operatic, vocal breaks between the heavy rock that make sense of the whole album. These small moments are what create a beautiful world within the record and dictate The Amazons clear vision for their modern sound.
21st Century Fiction is The Amazons best work. It’s beautiful, interesting and moving from start to finish. It was hard to think of possible inspirations because this sound is uniquely theirs. This record is the artistic shift that true musicians hope for, and I’m sincerely sure that whatever comes next will be just as brilliant.
