They’re back. And it’s about time.
Rush has been in a holding pattern for the last few records. They’ve had their moments, sure, but little of their recent output has been all that engaging. Thankfully, that isn’t the case here. This is easily their best work since Presto, and it’s a welcome return to form.
Everything about the record is confident and self-assured. Much has been said of the lyrics, which follow an underlying narrative, but this isn’t side one of 2112. Neil Peart’s lyrics are much more down-to-earth than they were in the halcyon days of the late 1970’s. In fact, he’s laid aside most of his pretensions, and if I hadn’t read the pre-release hype, I’d have been unaware this was a concept album.
There’s been a change in his drumming style as well. While there’s no denying his mastery of the instrument, he’s always come across as a bit metronomic and academic in the past. Here, his work is more primal and limber. His tone is milder, and the new approach is served well by a great mixing job.
The other musicians are on top of their game as well. Lifeson has never sounded so confident and expansive as a guitarist. I’ve always loved his rhythm work in the past, but he outdoes himself here, filling every corner with something imaginative and deceptively complex. He gets plenty of solo time, and his angular melodic sense is as strong as ever.
Geddy Lee’s bass playing, while not as flashy as it was in the old days, is more aggressive than it has been in quite some time. “The Anarchist” has him taking the lead in a similar manner to “Freewill,” and “Seven Cities of Gold” has him working stop-start rhythms that drive the whole arrangement. His interplay with Lifeson in “Halo Effect” has the sort of agility that made “Time Stand Still” one of the greatest straight pop songs in their catalog.
While he’s not pushing his voice to the rafters any more (and thank goodness), it’s full and resonant. He does a magnificent job of carrying a tragic story in “The Wreckers,” and he handles the odd swing-time breakdown in “Clockwork Angels” with ease. The breezy “Wish Them Well” gives him ample room to chew the scenery, and he feels utterly at home in the gorgeous ballad that closes the record.
Of course, Rush being Rush, this isn’t an album without problems. The aforementioned “Wreckers” is a wonderful song, and the orchestra is a nice touch, but it falls a bit too much in love with itself, and the last minute or so careens headlong into “November Rain” territory. While many of the songs are heavy, “Headlong Flight” flirts a bit too closely with heavy metal cliches.
These are small reservations about an otherwise superlative record, however. Had I never heard Rush, none of their recent records would have made me take notice of them.
This one would have.