The English foursome British Sea Power's third release "Do You Like Rock Music?" opens with the ominous mantra, "we're all in it."
It's not so much a statement of purpose as it is an overt warning: anyone not all-in will get left behind.
For a point of reference, look no further than the band Arcade Fire. Same cathartic energy, but less theatrics and more volume.
Angular guitars propel British Sea Power singer Scott Wilkinson's driving "Lights Out for Darker Skies." Though a song about uncertainty, its fluid vocals ooze confidence.
The dreamy lead single "Waving Flags" probably plays better in radio format, because on record it gets left in the wake of the transcendent "No Lucifer."
An all-out explosion, this flawless entry builds to a climactic blast of ethereal chanting.
Those prone to hyperbole will call it revelatory. Those prone to hearing will call it a great track.
Either way, this song kicks Satan's ass.
In some ways, the album's second half falls victim to the awesome rush of the first. That said, the energy of "Atom" keeps the back side from getting swallowed up in placid atmospherics.
"Rock Music" might just be another very good album from another very good band. But it sounds a whole lot more like a sea change.
