Written while
Jason Pierce was on tour performing
Ladies and Gentlemen...We Are Floating in Space in its entirety,
Spiritualized's seventh full-length echoes not only that album, but
Songs in A & E and
Amazing Grace. Highlights include "Hey Jane," which is one of the most transcendent things
Pierce has recorded in years, with a bright, poppy melody and a dark undercurrent that rides the instant when life feels especially vibrant because it's in danger. When the song crashes, then rises as a Krautrock-ish drone with the coda "Sweet heart/Sweet light/You're the love of my life" repeating like a mantra, it's more spiritual than a thousand choirs would be at that moment. Meanwhile, "Little Girl"'s soulful pop is as refined as the opening track is exuberant, and nearly as accomplished, and "Get What You Deserve" nails the menacing vibe that has always been the yang to
Pierce's soul-searching yin. ~ Heather Phares