What do you do after mysteriously and quietly disbanding one of Canada’s most buzzworthy acts? Well the answer turns out to mysteriously and quietly reunite and record an amazing sophomore album.
Death From Above 1979 is back with a decade of experience behind them, and it shows in The Physical World. The guitar hits hard, the lyrics bite down, and all of the tracks feel gritty. The album is fresh while still accessible to the fans that have worn out 2004’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine.
There is a mix in The Physical World that will hit a lot of different cords. I hear flashes of the White Stripes, Them Crooked Vultures and even Fall Out Boy, but all blended together in a way that creates its own unique sounds. The duo does not betray its roots with the new album, and that is exceptionally clear in their radio releases “Trainwreck 1979” and “Government Trash.”
If you’ve been spending the last decade waiting for a miracle, or if you happened to miss Death From Above 1979 when they first hit the Toronto scene, The Physical World is a great addition to rock out to. As the album’s title track says, “I get the feeling this is never gonna end.” We can only be so lucky.
Grade: B+