Protomartyr - Formal Growth In The Desert

Released: 02/06/23

A fan of Protomartyr ever since I heard the absolutely ferocious jammer Scum, Rise!' from their sophomore album, Under Color of Official Right, it's always a treat when the Detroit quartet announce a new LP. With album number six, Formal Growth in the Desert, there is no progress' to speak of “ they haven't decide to make a dance album, or, heaven help us, teamed up with Jack Antonoff to make their pop masterpiece', and thank goodness for that, for Protomartyr's sound is so perfect that to tinker too much with it would be a crime.

The one small addition to the group's sonic palette on the album comes in the form of some lovely, occasional pedal steel from Bill Radcliffe, which adds a hint of Silver Jews to Protomartyr's enduring sound, which is perhaps best described as Mark E Smith fronting a band consisting of Les Savy fav and The Jesus Lizard. On every record by the band there is at least one track which makes me think, Well, that's my favourite song of this year' “ with Formal Growth ¦ its the awesome Elimination Dances' “ but, like how the second or third viewing of a Paul Thomas Anderson film is when you truly appreciate its genius, every Protomartyr album contains tracks whose exhilarating lyrical and musical complexity are only fully revealed over the course of a few listens, and true to form, this remarkable album has such gems in abundance.