Artsy post-punk types ¡Forward, Russia! have thrown us a bit of a curve-ball with their second album, Life Processes. Whatever you thought you knew about the band from the material on their bog-standard debut effort Give Me A Wall, just forget it altogether, because for all intents and purposes, ¡Forward, Russia! circa-2008 is a different kind of animal. And damn, do they sound better for it.
Life Processes is a spiralling, demented album. It’s the sound of a band genuinely wanting to fuck with conventions and has a welcome slice of lunacy threaded through the 11 tracks. There’s also an audible sense of ambition in the songwriting that pushes things beyond the typical post-punk motifs, with ¡Forward, Russia! not only throwing the rulebook out the window, but setting it on fire as they hurl it skyward.
For all the clever chord changes and driving rhythms, singer Tom Woodhead’s impassioned and histrionic vocals are the real star of the show. From album opener ‘Welcome To The Moment (The Rest Of Your Life)’ all the way through to ‘Spanish Triangles’ his crooning could put goosebumps on your goosebumps. Life Processes is peppered with some daring moments of bravery and although it doesn’t always hit the mark (the least said of ‘Don’t Reinvent What You Don’t Understand’ the better) it’s still a rewarding listen.
Key Track: ‘Spring Is A Condition’