Los Campesinos! - All Hell

Seven years is a long time in the music industry, but Los Campesinos! return with 'All Hell' as if they've never been away – their seventh studio album a triumphant middle finger to the idea that indie bands have a shelf life. LC! are not just surviving; they're thriving.

From the moment 'The Coin-Op Guillotine' kicks off the album, it's clear that Los Camp aren't here to play nice. They're serving up a feast that's equal parts nostalgia and innovation. Over 15 tracks, Gareth and Kim trade vocals like seasoned boxers trading punches, each line landing with the precision of a perfectly timed football pass.

But 'All Hell' isn't just about the big themes; it's in the small details where LC! truly shine. They'll have you pondering the existential dread of late-stage capitalism one minute and laughing about adult acne the next. It's this balance of the profound and the mundane that makes the album feel like a friend who's been through it all with you.

Gareth remains one of indie-rock's most distinctive lyricists. His ability to weave together references to Greek mythology, football statistics, and the minutiae of British suburban life is unparalleled. He's both sardonically funny and deeply poignant, often within the same line.

While the band's emo and indie-rock roots are evident, there are forays into softer, more contemplative territory. 'kms', featuring Kim on lead vocals, is a particular highlight, its gentle melancholy providing a perfect counterpoint to the album's more frenetic moments. Kim's vocals float like a bittersweet lullaby for abandoned shopping malls.

Producer and band member Tom Bromley has outdone himself, crafting a sound that's both intimately familiar and refreshingly new. It's like he's taken everything great about LC!'s previous albums, thrown it in a blender with a dash of 2024 anxiety, and served it up in a pint glass rimmed with suburban ennui.

'All Hell' is a testament to Los Campesinos!' enduring relevance. It's the sound of a band comfortable in their identity yet still hungry to push boundaries. When authenticity can often feel like a marketing ploy, LC! remain defiantly, gloriously themselves.