IN REVIEW: Biffy Clyro - "Ellipsis"

Biffy Clyro deals in threes. A trio themselves, their discography leading up to Ellipsis is neatly divided into the prog-alt beginnings of their first three albums and the star-making stadium rock of the three that followed. So, perhaps by default, their seventh album marks a new beginning that would presumably set the stage for the next six to eight years of their career. The question, then, is "what Biffy era are we entering into here?" From the sounds of it, it's the glossy and modern era; Ellipsis is rife with studio trickery, from synths and vocal effects to electronic drums and children's choirs. It's a noticeably slick affair, especially when they're digging for radio gold, such as on the syrupy pop ballad Re-arrange. It's also a much more groovy, rhythm oriented record than we're used to getting from them, as evidenced by my uncontrollably tapping feet on the desert-soaked rocker Animal Style and the quasi-disco anthem Flammable. That said, it's still Biffy at the core, so there's plenty of pure rock satisfaction to be had, though listening to a charging heavy blast like On a Bang will no doubt make many wish there was a little more fire in their bellies; it's a feeling exacerbated by following track Small Wishes, which sounds like something out of a honky tonk kids' show and, while it's a fun exercise, falls flat in the context of the album. Still, this only really serves to drive home the point of all this; Ellipsis is a deliberately bold move for a band that could have stayed the course but chose to keep exploring, a band that's already had to endure division among their fans in Camp Old Biffy and Camp New Biffy. It's an album seemingly destined to splinter the two factions further, birthing a Camp Pop Biffy. Like I said though, Biffy Clyro deals in threes, so I'm sure this will suit them just fine.

July 8, 2016 • 14th Floor/Warner Bros.
Highlights Animal Style • Flammable • On a Bang