It would be wrong to say that Justin K Broadrick’s back, because he never went away: in fact, he seems to be pretty much ubiquitous these days, releasing an album or EP in one of his many guises every few months. But new material is awlays welcome, because despite the volume of output, his consistency of quality remains impeccable. Jesu represents Broadrick’s mellower side, and it’s difficult to imagine a project further removed from Godflesh, or an album more dissimilar to his recent solo album, ‘Posthuman’. Rarely has the word ‘multifaceted’ been so fitting of an artist, and Jesu’s latest release, two years in the making, is in itself notable for its depth and dimensions.
It begins with ‘Homesick’, which has an almost Curesque guitar pinned to an insistent drum and finds Broadrick delivering a vocal melody imbued with wistful emotion. More God Machine than Godflesh, it would be a pop song were it not for the thick, gritty bass that growls as it lurks beneath the dreamy surface. ‘Comforter’ is pure shoegaze and floats like Slouvlaki-era Slowdive… but of course, this is distinctly Broadrick’s work, and a chunky guitar bubbles beneath the surface to an understated crescendo. 17 minutes in duration, album’s centrepiece is ‘The Great Leveller’. Formed from a succession of movements, it’s an aural journey that begins as a sedate and majestic piece of epic post-rock proportions, rich and textured, before exploding into a crawling monster of skull-crushing doom. Returning to more tranquil waters, it slowly resurges to its conclusion. The final track, ‘Grey is the Colour’ stands as a companion piece to ‘Homesick’, reminiscent of ’17 Seconds’ and ‘Faith’ era Cure crossed with Ride to forge a soundscape that’s at once lugubrious and magnificent.
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‘Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came’ is by no means an immediate album , but it is clearly a considered work and highly compelling. It’s certainly a majestic album, worthy of the project’s name and another welcome addition to Broadrick’s reliably inspired and inspiring oeuvre.
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