Now and again, the concept for an album comes along that is so different from the usual emails that it immediately catches your attention. Take for example, this self-titled offering by Humanist. Guitarist Rob Marshall approached a variety of singers, including the likes of Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan and John Robb, with the bare bones of an idea – the music and a song title, with the titles themed on mortality, the ways we find meaning and the liberation of the human spirit.
The overall sound, funnily enough, given the titles, is quite melancholic yet not in a depressing way, more as an underlying current, especially in Dave Gahan’s effort, ‘Shock Collar’, which actually feels a lot less on the lower mood scale than a lot of the album. ‘Ring Of Truth’, featuring American poet Carl Hancock Rux, is a touch apart in its sound, sounding almost uplifting despite its approach, in quite the manner of some of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ more recent work, in the manner that he deals with the grief he has suffered, with this track, in particular, showing quite how well the collaborations have worked.
Mark Lanegan can seemingly do no wrong in the four tracks he contributed to, something that’s not a surprise given his talent level and that he has had Rob as his co-writer on two albums; yet the rhythmic, driving bass of ‘English Ghosts’, featuring John Robb is one of the first to fully catch my ear, alongside the aforementioned ‘Ring of Truth’, with John’s punk and post-punk experience being very central to his contribution here, adding a variety and depth further still to this collection, with his bit at times even approaching space rock in its take.
I’d normally use this bit to go into any gripes but I don’t have any. The concept comes across in all of the tracks and the use of the different collaborators makes for a varied approach to what is an obviously deep and emotive subject matter. Sure, I’d have liked to have seen a different collaborator for each track, instead of the nine across the fifteen tracks, but that’s also scope for follow up albums, which I would personally be extremely interested to hear. An excellently composed album more than worthy of a place in your ears and undoubtedly your head.
- ‘Humanist’ is released on 21 February. You can get your copy HERE.
- Humanist tour in March:
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