Feeder

Feeder have always exceeded British rock expectations and, they have an undisputable legacy to prove it, delivering some of the greatest albums in the genre.

When describing their 1996’s Swim EP, music critics of the time referred to Feeder as “the UK's answer to The Smashing Pumpkins, with perhaps a little more pop in the mix”. With ‘Black/Red’, their first double album in their 30 year career, we can’t help feel this is their own ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’.

It has been said producing a double-album is a signifier of intense creativity, which makes sense as Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose are still an incredibly inspired and inventive force to be reckoned with. After all, this is their twelfth studio album.

After reading an interview Feeder, for their 2022 album ‘Torpedo’, it transpires they had all of this material written during lockdown. They “actually had two albums ready” which means ‘Black/Red’ is part of a trilogy of albums. ‘Black/Red’ is simultaneously pre and post-‘Torpedo’, with so much of the material created in a time that was altogether frustrating and isolating for everyone.

Consequently, it is no surprise ‘Black’ has a darker, much broodier sound with all of the rawness and brutality of Royal Blood found on tracks like ‘Playing with Fire’, ‘Sahara’ and ‘Perfume’ but is heard throughout that side of the album. All tracks are written by Grant and one of the fears he notes is humanity being replaced in form of ‘AI M^n’, which would have only exacerbated through lockdown. It’s not all as existentially bleak as we remember, Grant gives us those fleeting yet vital glimpses of optimism are featured on ‘The Knock’ and ‘Hey You’.

‘Red’ starts with the grungy ‘Sleeping Dogs Lie’ emoting positivity, which is a stark contrast to the half we just listened to, as Grant sings for us to “Wake up!”. The album leans into their Comfort in Sound or Pushing the Senses sensibilities, on tracks like ‘Unconditional’ and ‘Here Comes The Hurricane’ with the latter sharing similarities with Editors ‘Bullets’. Stand-out tracks include: ‘Soldiers of Love’ where we get a taste of bagpipes and futuristic keyboards on ‘Ghosts On Parade’, which ends the album.

Overall, this album is very cathartic and Grant provides us with a much-needed message, as he tells us things will get better and hope exists.

Track listing:
Black
1. Droids
2. ELF
3. Playing with Fire
4. Vultures
5. Sahara
6. Hey You
7. The Knock
8. Perfume
9. AI M^n

Red
1. Sleeping Dogs Lie
2. Scream
3. Submarine
4. Lost in the Wilderness
5. Memory Loss
6. Unconditional
7. Here Comes the Hurricane
8. Soldiers
9. Ghosts on Parade