"THERE'S NO HURRY, IS THERE?" | CARDIACS TAKE US ON ONE FINAL TRIP WITH 'LSD' |

ALBUM REVIEW | CARDIACS – LSD by Anne Kelly

It’s 2008. Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith is chatting on the radio about their upcoming 6th studio album, the long awaited follow up to 1999’s Guns, downplaying the gravity of another Cardiacs album while nonchalently teasing listeners with lo-fi clips of upcoming songs played down the phone. Asked when fans can expect the album to finally be released, in typical fashion Tim maintains “there’s no hurry, is there?”.

He wasn’t wrong. Neither the debilitating illness that struck him shortly after uttering those fateful words 2008 nor his death in July 2020 would manage to stop this record seeing the light of day. An impossible album has finally arrived.

But how did we get here? With only a handful of dusty shelved demo’s, ideas dotted across notepads, voice recordings and a whole lot of legacy, brother and bandmate Jim Smith made the decision that yes, the Cardiacs – with Tim – would sing out loud once again. And with that, in Tim’s final years, Jim – collectively with Cardiacs’ Kavus Torabi, NSRO’s Craig Fortnam and a huge team of fellow creatives got Tim back into the studio and got to work on LSD, ensuring a final project worthy of Tim’s seal of approval and lasting legacy.

With an entire 17 tracks to digest and an entire 80 minutes of listening time, LSD is most certainly the trip it promises to be. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s begin with the opening track, ‘Men In Bed’. Starting as gently as a Cardiacs album could do, the hymn like track is a canticle celebration of what’s to come. However, don’t be deceived by the gentle introduction; if you’re familiar with this band, you know that a dramatic shift is just around the corner.

‘The May’ leading into ‘Gen’ brings that characteristic Cardiacs charm to light. Firey, fast, frantic and most of all, fun. The latter might already sound familiar to fans, having appeared as a B-side on 2007 released single ‘Ditzy Scene’ alongside ‘Made All Up‘, all which have been re-arranged and re-recorded for LSD.

The first of the albums singles ‘Woodeneye’ makes an early appearance on the album, setting the tone for the entire collection and in comparison suggests that until now, the preceding tracks were served as a mere warm-up or rehearsal for the more mature sounds that follow. Leading with the profoundly heartfelt line of “I’m sorry I’m sorry that I’m not here. Perhaps to be somewhere else or something else” feels like a cutting nod to Tim Smith’s passing.

For eagle eyed, active listening fans though, the sounds of ‘Woodeneye’ have been teased for the past couple of decades. Yet, despite Tim being heard and, more importantly, felt on every track of album, the bulk of the vocals heard on the album sits with others involved in the execution of the record, including Empire State Bastard and self confessed Cardiacs fanatic, Mike Vennart; a rich and distinctive voice that adds a layer of comfort and familiarity all the same.

Follow up singles ‘Downup’ and ‘Volob’ continue to shine the light upon Vennart’s vocal abilities, particularly with the unmistakable Cardiacs falsetto range which he absolutely nails. In particular ‘Downup’ has Vennerts stamp all over, and the haunting melodies make it a track you want to pop it on repeat. ‘Volob’ on the other hand comes in as one of the albums shortest offerings, yet it leaves a significant impact with its unique sound. The song is characterised by an offbeat electro-pop energy that produces an infectious running beat groove. The chorus is particularly noteworthy with a clever juxtaposition of rhythm and melody, highlights the playful nature of the track, making it a memorable addition to the album.

If you ever wanted to make sense of Cardiacs nonsensical lyrics then this isn’t the time. These tracks will require months, if not years, of careful psychedelia induced consideration/listening. But that’s nothing new, and after all, the record is literally called LSD. No further comment needed. ‘By Numbers’ and penultimate track ‘Made All Up’ come under that same nonsensical umbrella – the latter which again, appeared alongside ‘Gen‘ on Ditzy Scene many moons ago.

On that note, you can imagine the relief of a 9 minute instrumental number around the half way point of the album, in the form of ‘Busty Beez’ – not a vision anybody wants to imagine! An masterpiece of discordant, complexity and irrational time signatures, ‘Busty Beez’ is predictably Cardiacs by numbers – if they ever actually did anything predictable in their lifetime.

Other highlights of this grandiloquent double LP include ‘A Roll From A Dirty Place or ‘Blue and Buff’, the latter a track which could count as “easy listening” in a Cardiacs discography. Honourable mention must also go to the revamped ‘Ditzy Scene’ which in it’s re-recorded magic and boosted brass orchestration has managed to grasp something uniquely sentimental within. Then there’s Jo Spratley‘s (Spratley Rats/Japs) ‘Skating‘, which is easily another easy high point of the album. a track which sits at nearly 8 craftily minutes long and is a prime example of the collective effort that made LSD come to life. A song composed, and partially recorded by Tim Smith which explores different tempos, genres and time signatures to the point it sounds like at least 3 songs in one, ‘Skating’ is brought to its final form with the help of those closest to Tim and is a testament to the connection they held to his extraordinary musical mind.

The long-awaited release of the impossible album brings immense joy, yet it is tinged with a profound sense of bittersweetness. What began as a celebration of everything Tim, the Cardiacs, and their extended musical family now marks a poignant farewell. The last swan song, ‘Pet Fezant’ encapsulates the moment; an experience that transcends mere words, embodying a deep emotional connection that is finally ready to let go.

Penned by Smith’s long-term partner Emily Jones, ‘Pet Fezant’ brings it back to where LSD started with the spiritual hymn nature of opener ‘Men In Bed’, but this time it’s a holy writ to Tim himself. Described in the album’s 24 page story booklet as “a beautiful elegy, a recognition by Tim’s friends that it was OK for them to let him go, for him to finally leave his suffering physical body behind”, it’s hard not to shed a tear when listening to the choir tones of the scriptural singing of:

Oh glory on the ground
As bright as our eyes shine
Glory lies on the ground
All pointing our beaks into the sky

The choir repeats the scripture as the grandiose composition elevates the words to biblical territory delivering before gradually releasing that energy as the track ultimately fades out. Like a gentle heads up to listener that the end is nearly here, we’re left gasping, trying to hold on to those last notes. I did wonder though, are they really going out on a fade out? And at first thought, yes they are, but if you hold fire a few moments longer, one final nod from Tim. His trademark chimes. And with that few seconds, you know it’s over.

For the impossible album, LSD is a testament to the legacy of a band, and particularly of a genius man, who refused to colour within the lines, follow the rules of music or pander to anything ever deemed ‘mainstream’. Tim Smith led his own flock, a dedicated cult following who still, to this day, nearly 50 years after Cardiacs were first ever dreamed of, refuse to leave his side. Even in death, Smith’s legacy is marked by collaboration and raw, unchallenged connection.