Single Review: Undercurrents – Maximo Park

Since they burst onto the rejuvenated Indie scene in 2005 with the quirky classic ‘Apply Some Pressure’ – taken from the Mercury Music Prize-nominated ‘A Certain Trigger’ – Maximo Park have been worth keeping an eye on.

In a market often saturated with clone bands that sound alike, look alike and bore alike, it is reassuring to any fan of this genre that the boys from Newcastle are still not only around, but evolving pleasantly.

And that is showcased beautifully in the surprisingly emotive new single ‘Undercurrents’. The usually manic, bowler hat-wearing lead singer Paul Smith restrains himself to deliver a vocal and lyric that is both haunting and romantic in its apparent sincerity. The moment the song bursts into life with a melodic low-register guitar line, I knew that I was about to listen to a very good song.

Supported by a pounding drum beat and some wonderful harmonies, Smith’s vocal (it is that good it is worth harking back to) is really the driving force behind this tune. Throw a nice guitar break down into the mix and it would seem Maximo Park have a hit on their hands.

When you listen to songs like this, it really does beg the question; why are more people not championing the work of genuine musicians such as this, rather than whipping up a frenzy about that orange “thing” that has been crying a lot on the X-Factor?

“Will you forgive me?” Smith cry’s out longingly in this song. We have nothing to forgive you for Paul…Quite the opposite in fact.

In short, if you haven’t already got the group’s fourth record ‘National Health’, released in June, then at least download this single.

By Dan Colombini

Check out the BBMLive Dance Music Podcast mixed by So Called Scumbags.