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IN REVIEW: Feeder - "Torpedo"

 

It may seem improbable to those who only remember them from their minor North American hit High in 1998 (as featured on the Can't Hardly Wait soundtrack), but Feeder have carved out quite a career for themselves, at least in their native UK. Racking up hits far beyond the '90s, they've built a dedicated fan base close to home, and have had eight of their eleven albums (including this one) go Top 10 in the UK; fellow Canadians can draw a parallel to, say, The Tea Party to get a sense of the level of acclaim and popularity they've received at home.

Admittedly, previous to Torpedo I hadn't done a deep dive on Feeder beyond their singles (while I have the floor, the fact that 2001's Buck Rogers didn't hit over here is criminal); however, a few very excited reviews hailing the new record as a welcome return to hard rock had me curious. I'm glad I did, because Torpedo delivers the goods; not that it twists the boundaries of their sound or subverts expectations, rather it's the sound of a band that still has it in them to create music at a high level when they could have easily phoned it in and faded away at this stage of their career.

The Healing is an effective statement of intent, an uplifting anthem that transforms into a stomping, heavy blast of a tune midway through. The title track is a blistering and bludgeoning piece of ear candy, the chorus of which elevates in a way that they make seem easy; meanwhile, heavy and melodic tracks such as When It All Breaks Down, Wall of Silence and Born to Love You sound like they'd have been right at home on the radio twenty years ago, alongside stuff like Jimmy Eat World or Fuel. Some of these songs don't need to go as hard as they do, but even songs as heavy as Magpie and Decompress manage to sneak in hooks. There are also lighter moments to balance things out, such as Hide and Seek and Submission, to prevent things from getting a little too one-note.

Not everything hits with the same force; Slow Strings meanders more than a bit, while Desperate Hour provides us with the overdone, painfully predictable acoustic closer. Still, it's impressive how much volume and energy Feeder are arriving with on Torpedo and, even if it doesn't truly stand a chance of finding them many new ears outside their established fan base, it feels like the kind of album that will make said devotees very happy indeed.

March 18, 2022 • Big Teeth
Highlights The Healing • Torpedo • Wall of Silence

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