The Concretes are far from being a prolific group. Four albums in the last ten years and their most recent release WYWH (‘Wish You Were Here’ was already used by some British psychedelic rock band in the ‘70s, and others) took four long years to come to fruition.
In this fourth opus, this long-declared indie-pop band decided to take a sharp turn in style. They are now thirty-something so music is no laughing matter anymore. The groove is often heavy and somber, and Lisa Milberg’s voice has matured. This is particularly noticeable in "Crack In the Paint" or "I Wish We’d Never Met". Even in the poppier "Knck Knck" and "Oh My Love", it is obvious that the days of mindless fun are over. Adulthood has set in.
With this coming of age, appears the inevitable nostalgia. The ‘80s are knocking at the door during "My Ways" or the eponymous "WYWH". And even more during what could arguably be the Enya-esque homage to date "Sing to me".
The Concretes, who are starting their North America tour today, have not lost any of their talent and WYWH is a nice collection of songs that, in the end, lacks a cohesion that would make it an enduring album of 2011.
MP3 Stream: "WYWH"
