Written by Maria Arroyo
Alternative rock UK-based band, Biffy Clyro, shares their spectacular new release, A Celebration Of Endings, out now via Warner Records. Biffy Clyro exceeds expectations with this groundbreaking new release, which has definitely become a 2020 favorite for me.
Bringing Biffy Clyro to life are frontman Simon Neil on vocals and guitar, James Johnston on vocals and bass, and Ben Johnston on vocals and drums. Produced by Grammy-award winner Rich Costey, A Celebration Of Endings is truly a masterpiece.
“This is a very forward-looking album from a personal perspective and a societal perspective,” Neil shares. “The title is about seeing the joy in things changing, rather than the sadness. Change means progression and evolution. You can retain everything you loved before, but let’s lose the bad shit. It’s about trying to take back control.”
“North Of No South” starts off the album with a soft and alternative approach, which is slowly transitioned into a heavier sound as the album progresses. The harmonies are insanely tight with some interesting vocal effects. The song has a strong sense of purpose for the album and tells a compelling story, similar to some great musicals.
“The Champ” is another great example of a strong musical background that really brings this song to life. It’s captivating lyrics like “We are the source of all the things you’re so desperate to ignore” resonates, not only personally, but will do so with so many listeners. It’s a very powerful line that listeners can connect to, especially with some of the big gaps in ideas between generations.
His next song “Weird Leisure” is a collection of so many different ideas and transitions that make for such an active and intriguing listen. Everything from its structure to a strong sense of rhythm makes this song stand out in an already overly passionate album.
Breaking down even more barriers are his next songs “Worst Type of Best Possible” and “Space.” The first song is insanely intense, and really makes the listener stop and think about the lyrics even more than anticipated. Whereas the latter becomes another relatable story for listeners, with an incredible execution that ties it all together. “Space” became an album favorite for me. Not only because of how much I can read into the lyrics but the fact that I can feel something in every second of the song. While the song isn’t the most grandiose of the album, it certainly carries an immense amount of weight emotionally, which is why it was such an amazing addition to A Celebration Of Endings.
“End Of” brings the angst back and better than ever. There’s a great bass line driving the song, and while the sound is larger than most, the transition between the different songs don’t feel abrupt or hastily thrown together. This song shows how much control Clyro has in creating a story that flows as smoothly as possible, even throughout the different songs.
“Instant History” is another album favorite for me, as the song increases the intensity, even when I didn’t think it was possible to do any more than they already were! The lyrics “We only exist in the noise that we bring” is just another perfect example of how much weight and meaning his lyrics carry and speak to the vast amount of relatability that really makes this album so special. The chorus is fun and simple, yet profound and freeing.
Closing out this insanely charismatic album is “Cop Syrup.” Biffy Clyro brings it back to the beginning with his heavier alternative sound. The song is immensely transformative, and the ending of the piece just screams to be an epic-energy! I love the musical build-up that the song creates, which then brings us back to the style from the beginning.
A Celebration Of Endings is truly in its own league, and while I kept feeling more upset that the release kept pushing itself back due to, well… you know… I am so glad the extra time was taken because this is truly an album to listen to! Biffy Clyro exceeds all expectations and hits the ground running! This is definitely a fan favorite for me, and is definitely a top 10 album of the year for me!
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