Maximo Park: 'Quicken The Heart'

First lines don't come much blunter that the opening gambit on Maximo Park's third LP. "Here's a song that finally you can understand," deadpans frontman Paul Smith. "A minor statement meant to counteract the bland." Clearly hurt by certain less than glowing reviews of their last album, the North East five-piece are determined to prove this time around that they don't deserve to be lumped in with the "landfill indie" crowd. During the recording of the album, the band hinted that they working on "funny grooves", which had many speculating as to whether they'd be dishing up club bangers and disco delights rather than their usual guitar clatter. Quicken The Heart is no such dramatic departure, but it does provide just enough twists on the standard Maximo formula to show up those who doubted the band's creativity.

The drilled drums, punky guitars and howling air-raid sirens on opener 'Wrathlike' are the closest the group come to a 'big pop single' here. Elsewhere, the band showcase a more subtle and textured sound, which makes up for what it lacks in immediate thrills with layered, more sophisticated tunes that compliment Smith's usual witty wordsmithery. The aching synths and swirling breakdowns of lead single 'The Kids Are Sick Again', the understated fuzz and rumble of album stand-out 'Calm' and robotic rock of 'Let's Get Clinical' all demonstrate the band's technical advances.

Unfortunately, Quicken The Heart is let down by a lack of quality control over its 12 tracks. The band's well-documented struggle to choose between darker sounds and big pop tunes appears to have manifested itself in occasional veers towards a bland middle ground. Despite an amazing title and a hearty vocal performance from Smith, 'Roller Disco Dreams' lacks bite. Meanwhile, the polite jangle of 'I Haven't Seen Her In Ages' and by-numbers stomp of 'A Cloud Of Mystery' should probably have been left as B-sides. These disappointing moments can't help but detract from what is in places the band's most expansive and exciting record to date.

Smith's dark sexual observations on 'Let's Get Clinical' ("I'd like to map your body out inch by inch... and I'm free for circumnavigation") and teasing lyrics about awkward relationships on 'The Penultimate Clinch' and 'Calm' justify why many hold the hat-clad singer in such high regard. Maximo albums will always be worth investigating while his pen remains as sharp as it does here. The band have described Quicken The Heart as a conclusion to their album trilogy, but there are no clear hints as to where the band may turn next. At the very least this record shows that even when Maximo play it safe, they still pack more of a punch than most.