Album Review: The View, Exorcism Of Youth

These recently resurrected indie-rockers are back with their first album in nearly a decade, and faithful fans will be pleased to hear they haven’t missed a beat. Sounding slightly older but not necessarily wiser (they recently had an “altercation” onstage in May, which was later called a “brotherly bust up”), The View’s sixth album is full to the brim with sad songs that make you feel good.

They set their stall out strongly with ‘Exorcism Of Youth’, a synth-driven future live favourite, which reassures us “Good times are coming”, and also boasts a riff indebted to Sparks’ ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us’.

Elsewhere, ‘Feels Like’ has a chorus tailormade for festival singalongs, and will remind fans why they fell in love with The View in the first place. ‘Black Mirror’, meanwhile, might see them grace the top ten once again: a strings-swept, Snow Patrol-style ballad, it also features a memorable vocal from Kyle Falconer.

Saving the best for last, ‘Tangled’ sees them ditch the guitars and indulge their inner Phil Oakey, with the ’80s pop number affirming there’s plenty of life left in The View.

7/10