Firmly established as a Queen of modern metal music, Poppy continues her quest for world domination.
Two lifetimes ago Poppy started out making odd performance art videos on YouTube where she played an android who took the mickey out of various things about modern life. One lifetime ago Poppy started her music career making bubblegum pop. It was her third album that marked a significant slide into the heavier end of the musical spectrum. She has only morphed further into a heavy rock and metal icon since then. Whilst we loved her last album Negative Spaces, number 30 in our Album’s Of The Year 2024, the recent pinnacle remains her insane collaboration with Knocked Loose, ‘Suffocate’ .
In many respects this feels more like a continuation of Negative Spaces. Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me The Horizon, is back with both a producer and composer credit on every track of the album. This is another very strong set of tracks, contrasting Poppy’s ability to sing a sweet chorus with her increasing confidence at screaming down all before her. Overall, it slants slightly heavier than Negative Spaces.
Across the thirteen tracks Poppy unleashes the full force of her screamed range, though the lyrics are rather oblique. Not a lot of anything personal seems revealed here. With the wall of Jordan Fish sound backing them there are a few moments where the production seems a little too clean cut, a little bit too perfect. Sometimes a few rough edges give an album a bit more character.
At a brief and brisk thirty-eight minutes there is an awful lot to enjoy here. She last played Reading Festival in 2022. It would be great to see her back there this year.
Essential tracks: ‘Bruised Sky,’ ‘Unravel’
Leave a Reply