Review

In an era where rock music often feels like a neglected stepchild in the streaming age, The Amazons return with a defiant middle finger to contemporary music conventions. Their latest offering, "21st Century Fiction," serves as both a love letter to rock's storied past and a bold statement about its uncertain future. The Reading four-piece have always worn their influences on their leather-jacketed sleeves, but here they've finally struck that elusive balance between reverence and revolution. Frontman Matt Thomson's distinctive vocals have matured considerably, bringing a rawness that evokes the spirit of early Noughties indie while carving out something distinctly their own. Opening track "Digital Wasteland" crashes in with the subtlety of a freight train, all distorted guitars and thunderous drums that would make Royal Blood nod in appreciation. It's a statement of intent – this is an album meant to be played at maximum volume, preferably while stuck in soul-crushing motorway traffic. The band show impressive restraint on "Hollow Dreams," where stripped-back verses explode into choruses that will undoubtedly become festival anthems next summer. When Thomson croons about the "endless scroll of modern life," it's impossible not to wince in recognition at our collective screen addiction. "Glass House" offers perhaps the album's most poignant moment – a meditation on vulnerability that sees the band step back from their usual bombast to deliver something genuinely moving. The restraint shown here demonstrates a newfound maturity that was occasionally lacking in their previous work. Not everything hits the mark. "Algorithm Blues" feels somewhat on-the-nose with its critique of online culture, and "Last Call" treads dangerously close to pastiche. But even in these missteps, there's an admirable commitment to the cause – rock music as salvation in a fractured digital world. Producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, The 1975) has given the record a muscular sheen that still allows the songs to breathe. The rhythm section of Joe Emmett and Elliot Briggs forms a formidable backbone throughout, particularly on standout track "Neon Wilderness." What's most refreshing about "21st Century Fiction" is its refusal to pander to current trends. In a musical landscape dominated by algorithm-friendly, three-minute pop songs, The Amazons have created something defiantly, gloriously anachronistic – a proper album meant to be experienced from start to finish. This is a band with something to say, and they're saying it at considerable volume. The Amazons may not be reinventing the wheel, but they're certainly making it spin with impressive velocity.

Comments