Archive – You All Look The Same To Me

In some ways, You All Look the Same to Me is a consolidation of everything Archive had achieved so far: the electric pianos, organs, mellotrons and analogue synths of Londinium back to the fore, whilst blending in some elements of rock music they'd learned from Take My Head. Yet it's also a huge step forward. Lead single and album opener 'Again' runs to over 16 minutes, with little else on the album falling into conventional pop/rock structures. The Pink Floyd comparisons are unavoidable.

And then there's Craig Walker, the band's new lead vocalist. There's a certain angst present in his voice that's a contrast to the more restrained performances of the band's previous singers. Walker's voice cracks and strains (on 'Goodbye' he falls flat of notes entirely at times), lending the group an indie-rock authenticity totally at odds with the more polished tone of their first two records. Archive mk 3 is most definitely Archive, but they're doing something very different.

The elephant in the room is always going to be 'Again'. The closest thing to a hit single they've ever had, and building to a dramatic crescendo over its 16 minutes, it's never going to be an easy song to follow. Opening the album with it is a brave move. Following it with 'Numb', however, is a stupid move. A repetitive, tuneless piece that aims for Neu! but misses the mark dramatically, it's hard to not feel incredibly deflated - never a good thing two tracks into an album.

Thankfully, most of the rest of the album is much stronger. 'Meon' is a melodic mid-tempo piece with a rousing, soulful chorus that, instrumentally, is heavily reminiscent of debut album Londinium. 'Fool' is a bluesy, melancholic song with a rolling drum beat. 'Hate' and 'Need' close the album on a beautiful, intimate note. Ambient interlude 'Seamless' reunites the band with their electronic roots. Jane Hall and Maria Q provide beautiful backing vocals that help soften the edges of Walker's ragged yelp. Ok, so nothing else here is quite as good as 'Again' (least of all the other side-long epic 'Finding it So Hard', which tries to find a bizarre mid-ground between prog rock and early '90s rave), but the weak spots are few and far between.

As a fan of the band when the album came out, I found lots to love in You All Look the Same to Me. The band's continual progression and experimentation without losing their core sound is hugely irable, but what's given the album its lasting magic is the quality of the songs themselves. Craig Walker is undoubtedly an excellent songwriter, and his melodies here help Archive achieve their third timeless album.