Darwin’s Rejects get you high and keep you there on their new LP ‘Unnatural Selection’.
Darwin’s Rejects – Unnatural Selection
Darwin’s Rejects brings life to life with a beautifully crafted album that encapsulates all that needs to be talked and thought about while simultaneously dragging you up to dance.
The album starts in an Irish folk rhythm with a perfect blend of instruments and lyrics on ‘Rollin Road’. A true classic foot-stomper and partner-grabber.
‘Walk away’ calms things down to bring a message to prominence. The true folk shines and brings about a message of genuine inner and outer peace. Darwin’s Rejects encourage us to set aside our differences and focus on a real call to real action – happiness for all. A lovely, catchy folk song with a superb insight into the state of the world. Without a doubt, this takes the title for my Thinkers Track on the album.
The same themes spill over into ‘Traitors’ a bit pacier, sprinkled with some fantastic guitar riffs to boot. A great genre-defying tune that stays true to the message of the band. A little bit of a more direct call to action in this one, masked by a soothing voice and another catchy melody.
Classic folk takes precedence in ‘Cabin By The Sea’ where a classic story is told to the tune of the catchiest song thus far. The song tells the story better than I ever could and therefore I’ll leave Darwin’s Rejects to tell it best. This song takes the place as my Track of Triumph.
‘Car park jig’ shows that sometimes the proof is in the pudding and does exactly what it says on the tin. A sweet crescendo unveils as the vast array of instruments come together to make you ‘jig’.
The unique introduction of ‘Gone’ is a refreshing change of pace and makes the listener sit up and pay attention. True to themselves once again, Darwin’s Rejects this time detail a real-life story in the tune. A very bold and jarring song that puts it all into perspective quickly. Powerful artistry.
‘Teenage Years’ is a lovely song, about the meaning of growing up that anyone can relate to, following the last and brings back a calmer feel whilst maintaining the point of the band to provoke a thought or two. A quicker pace ensues on ‘Borderline’ and the soul-soothing electric guitar kicks back in. Another classic roof-raiser but with a nice modern-feeling twist.
A piercing female vocal is utilised on ‘Valkyrie’s Lament’ to bring about a song of adventure. Folk is intertwined with what feels like punk angst in both feel and lyricism, creating a unique, fun song.
‘Roadbound Sailor’ proves to be an ingenious take on classic folk tales in the new age, switching the myths of a sailor at sea to the everyday life of a band member on the road in the new age world.
‘Tunnel vision’ paints the picture of a troubled soul and offers light at the end of the tunnel. Darwin’s Rejects define what it means to take the serious and troubling and plaster it onto a catchy song to bring it to the frontal cortex of the masses.
The album is wrapped up by ‘Come Take A Drink’. Which somehow manages to take the serious messages throughout and thrust them into one moment of happiness. A classic folk ballad that leaves the listener with the cheekiest grin on their face as they sit back and give thanks to whatever they believe in that they chose to listen to this album. Astonishing album craftsmanship.
Don’t take this face value as a folk album, these twelve songs hold treasures beyond one genre and utilise free will to create an album unlike one in circulation (in all the right ways).
It’s rare to find artistry in music that truly encapsulates both real enjoyment and a genuine message, but it’s done with class on Darwin’s Rejects ‘Unnatural Selection’.
Throughout, it is clear they stick to their guns and prove that a catchy chorus doesn’t need to mask a deeper meaning. An album to be proud of. I urge the listener to lose themselves in the sounds and lyrics, the two work together perfectly and therefore shouldn’t be considered mutually exclusive. Twelve songs that will each make their way into the listener’s musical mainframe, an excellent contribution to the world.
‘Crack open a cold one, put your feet up, go for a jog – do what you like because Darwin’s Rejects will make sure you enjoy whatever you’re doing and learn something along the way’
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Words by Thomas Pressley Hitchcock
