‘Permanence’, the debut album by former Lostprophets and Thursday almost-supergroup No Devotion, is something of a rebirth. Unmistakably removed from anything that the band members have previously produced, it stamps a definitive end to an inhumanly dark past; at least for the former of the two outfits. In that, No Devotion’s sound is dark and ominous yet uplifting and expansive. Cathartic to its core.
Frontman Geoff Rickly, whose release week has proved somewhat troublesome for various reasons beyond his control, isn’t new to experimentation. Potentially taking a risk with his heavy investment in an unusual post-punk meets pop-noir sound, Rickly has been known to shake his prior endeavour’s foundations; on the likes of ‘I Wanna Be Your God’, No Devotion finds the occasional root in Thursday at their most developmental.
Yet elsewhere, ‘Permanence’ plays out like the soundtrack to bleak night-drive, perhaps deliberately referenced in one of its track titles. The thunderously claustrophobic instrumental ‘Death Rattle’ is as unsettling as it is beautiful, providing a juxtaposition to the chilled opening moments in ‘Break’. With ‘Permanent Sunlight’ and ’10,000 Summers’ injecting avant-garde 80s pop into proceedings, the album wavers between a gothic dream and a nightmarish chill.
Above all, ‘Permanence’ is driven by its highly commendable drum work. With Rickly’s vocals joining guitars, bass, keyboards and abundant synths in creating soaring atmospherics, the drums deliberately provide the grounding for each track. Shared between Phillip Jenkins and Bloc Party’s Matt Tong, the percussion not only forms the backbone of ‘Permanence’ but also its overall feel.
‘Permanence’ is bold and innovative. Defying convention, even attracting comparisons to early U2 (lead single ‘Stay’ in particular), No Devotion have created something that both embraces retrospect and laughs in its face. Cleverly modern, a little unsettling yet beautifully freeing, ‘Permanence’ is the night-time at the end of the tunnel.
BEN TIPPLE