Review: The Maccabees- Marks To Prove It

The Maccabees are a five piece band from London, made up of Orlando Weeks, Hugo and Felix White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle. They are now on their fourth studio album, with each of their previous efforts gaining notable positive previews, thus earning them a loyal fan base.

The band have made noticeable changes to their sound with each album, and this latest offering is no different. The album was produced by the band in their Elephant and Castle studio. This allowed them to take more ownership of their sound and make their own decisions based on what was best for the album.

The album kicks off with the brilliant lead single 'Marks to Prove it'. The opening riff makes a great start to the album that just makes you want to hear more. It then goes into 'Kamakura', which has a sprawling, euphoric sound to it. This sound is similar to much of the previous album, 'Given to the Wild'

Next the album rattles on through some very enjoyable tracks such as 'Ribbon Road' and 'Slow Sun'. These enjoy a new direction for the band but don't stray too far from their regular sound of big guitars and soft, soothing vocals. There are also some more forgettable tracks in this section, however, such as 'Spit it Out' with it's repetitive lyrics and guitars that aren't as striking as those on some other songs. One track that I really like from this section is 'Silence', this song feels very heartfelt and works well to change the direction and speed of the album.

The subsequent track is the second single from the album after 'Marks to Prove it'. 'Something Like Happiness' is easy to sing along to and somehow feels familiar even when you've only heard it a few times. 'WW1 Portraits' is a track that just keeps building until it breaks out into a cacophony of sound that really feels like something special. This is probably the strongest section of the album, it draws you in with it's fluid sounds that just roll into each other.  

The final section of the album closes it off very well as it slows back down again. 'Dawn Chorus' does this especially well with use of backing vocals and brass instruments. Overall I believe that this alum from The Maccabees is one of their best yet and can definitely stand it's ground against albums from other big names in 'Indie' music. The band have fantastic continuity with their quality and the way the instruments are played really complements Orlando's lyrics. It is a real joy to listen to.

Highs
Marks to Prove it
Silence

Lows
Spit it Out
River Song

Rating: 9.1/10