Cowboy Junkies

Such Ferocious Magnificence

Cooking Vinyl

Aug 01, 2023
Net Unique

By Ian Rushbury

Albums can stand or fall on their opening tracks. Begin with a humid squib and already the listener is wanting anxiously at their “to do” listing for the day. Begin with one thing highly effective and the listener will spend the size of the document within the palm of the artists’ hand. Such Ferocious Magnificence begins with “What I Misplaced.” And from there on, you’re transfixed at some stage in the document.

It’s reassuring to know that after a prolonged profession, Cowboy Junkies nonetheless have an edge. Swerving away from well mannered self-parody, it’s nice to see them nonetheless pushing on the boundaries of what they’re speculated to be. “Flood” begins with a squall of suggestions, which settles into an insistent mid-tempo groove. Margo Timmins’ voice has prevented the ravages of time and uncurls gracefully over this and all of the songs on the document.

Initially written and recorded in 2020 and 2021, the album captures the sensation of unease prevalent in these COVID-dominated years. However whereas the entire world was on edge, Margo, Michael, and Peter Timmins have been making an attempt to deal with the dementia and subsequent loss of life of their father.

On “Mike Tyson (Right here it Comes),” it’s laborious to determine if the band are celebrating fatalism or wanting hopefully in direction of an unsure future. The stress within the music could point out the previous, however when Margo sings “All of the wasps have come alive / There’s whistling once more within the night sky / Right here it comes,” she hints at hope. Perhaps.

The album finishes with “Blue Skies”—a lovely and plangent ballad. It’s the proper method to finish an outstanding document. A document that takes essentially the most heartbreaking and tough subject material and weaves it into one thing surprisingly uplifting. (www.cowboyjunkies.com)

Writer ranking: 8/10