Chordblossom
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies
No Result
View All Result
Chordblossom
No Result
View All Result

Linebacker Dirge – Take Shelter

Roland McIntyre by Roland McIntyre
September 9, 2013
in Music Reviews
Linebacker Dirge – Take Shelter

linebacker dirge - take shelter cover

Belfast’s Linebacker Dirge follow up 2011’s well-received There Are No Clean Getaways EP with Take Shelter, a self-produced album that boasts not only a hard-won DIY ethic, but a line-up including members of local luminaries A Northern Light and Kasper Rosa. Eschewing any production sheen, Take Shelter effectively transports the listener to the band’s practise room: ‘in your face’ is admittedly a somewhat lazy journalistic description, but it’s the over-riding atmosphere conveyed by an album that invites you in with the stuttering rhythms of ‘Four Ignoble Truths’, and lyrics asserting “we’ll weather this storm together” then spends 55 minutes demonstrating the myriad ways the band have to disorientate your emotional equilibrium.

ADVERTISEMENT

‘Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Inmates’ provides an effective blueprint for the band, progressing from angular guitar twang to a lilting string coda, which is followed by the vaguely space-rock intro of ‘[words are missing]’, where anguished vocals are the only thing preventing the listener drifting along, until things are shaken by a sudden burst of At The Drive In-style stuttering rock which gives way to something gentler. Taken together as an opening triumvirate, it’s hard to argue that these 3 songs leave any doubt as to the band’s intent to jar the listener as much as they jar themselves.

Establishing an atmosphere is paramount, but in coming out strong, there’s a danger that you run out of steam too early. However, there’s a grasp of dynamics evident throughout the album that staves away any mid-range doldrums. For a band wearing emo influences on their sleeve – and make no mistake, this is an ’emo’ record, in the less mass-media friendly sense of the word – Linebacker Dirge understand that ebb and flow is the key: ‘Blood Bruise’ alternately throbs, pulses and gushes with cardiac intensity, whilst the imploring vocal desperation evident in ‘Fall Of The Armada’ transmutes the words “Leviathan rises” into something primally relatable.

It’s arguably the ability to relate to – even empathise with- a band in this genre that allows them to stand or fall: authenticity is key, and while it can often be a difficult factor to pin down – often more noticeable by it’s absence – when it’s there, it’s something you tend to ‘just know’. Whilst there are discernible influences at work throughout this album, including At The Drive In, hints of The Jesus Lizard and the angular twists of These Arms Are Snakes, it’s no small feat that Take Shelter brings you on its own journey. The gentle acoustic picking of ‘The Great Northern’ pulls of the feat of making the line “I knew this girl just like you but she died” work without satire or reproach, and the subtle, unplanned tempo change that occurs as Ian McHugh’s vocals begin to snarl provides a left-field high point of the record as it does: this is the sound of music intrinsically linked to an emotional state.

To resonate on such a level is a double-edged sword: the album is not a pleasant listen, but a rewarding one – lyrically and musically sharp, and strangely inclusive in a genre that often alienates through either accident or design. There’s warmth to be found within, but it takes a few listens to reveal itself, and my jury’s still out on whether the anguish wins. Most importantly, in a climate where ’emo’ has filtered through into mass media, Take Shelter provides an effective reminder of the roots of the form.

◀ STANDOUT ⁞ A Short History of Shuck & Jive ▶
◀ SOUNDS LIKE ⁞ At The Drive In | The Jesus Lizard ▶

Leave a Comment ⁞

Tags: albumLinebacker DirgeRoland McIntyreTake Shelter
ShareTweetShareShareSendSend
Previous Post

Ajenda – 24th August 2013

Next Post

20 Second Century – I’m Not Your Anything

Related Posts

Stream: ROE – That’s When The Panic Sets In (Part 1)
Fresh Northern Irish Music

Stream: ROE – That’s When The Panic Sets In (Part 1)

June 15, 2022
Dani Larkin - Notes For A Maiden Warrior - 12/6/21
Music Reviews

Dani Larkin – Notes For A Maiden Warrior

June 21, 2021

Recent Posts

Chordblossom Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022 blue

Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022: 10 – 1

January 19, 2023
Chordblossom Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022 blue

Northern Irish Releases of the Year 2022: 25 – 11

January 18, 2023
Northern Irish Songs of the Year 2022

Northern Irish Songs of the Year 2022: 25 – 1

January 12, 2023

Twitter

Instagram

Follow

  • More from King Villain in the Union Bar, with Parker and Slow Healer on Saturday night.

Photos by Jonah Gardner
  • King Villain with support from Parker and Slow Healer at the Union Bar on Saturday night.

Photos by Jonah Gardner

Spotify Playlist

Fresh Music From Northern Ireland

Mailing List

  • About Chordblossom
  • Kickstart
  • Music Reviews
  • Live Reviews
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Photos
  • Fresh Music From Northern Ireland Playlist
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • Mailing List

© 2020 Chordblossom

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies

© 2020 Chordblossom

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT