The Veck-Gilodi brothers return with an album of heartfelt honesty and painful truths.
“I have always wanted to change myself,” James Veck-Gilodi has said of the realisation that led him to Deaf Havana’s seventh album, We’re Never Getting Out – albeit after scrapping the initial raft of material they’d been developing for it.
The Norfolk band’s music has long been the subject of stylistic shifts. From the boisterousness of their early output to the artful poise of their more recent, they’ve alternatively chased trends and struck out on their own, their efforts underpinned by the turbulence of our author’s life, the band’s shuffling membership and changeable fortunes – on a journey that’s rarely been less than compelling.
This record, however, is the sound of a line being drawn in the sand – of James claiming the stewardship of his own destiny with his brother Matt alongside him. We’re Never Getting Out is an acknowledgement that our challenges may loosen their grip on us but they may never release us entirely, but it could just as easily be an affirmation that this band are here to stay.
Listening to the heartbroken Life In Forward Motion (‘I was coming off a relapse, when they told me that you’d died’) and Carousel (‘Forever stuck on this carousel / Spinning deeper into myself’), you’re stuck by how good Deaf Havana can be when they balance sentiments possessing diary entry candour and melodies that provide balm for the soul – and how the irresistibility of the latter makes the pain of the former completely unavoidable.
This time, though, that honesty doesn’t only involve James. Many of these songs chronicle the end of his marriage, and the freedom and perspective it has brought him, though you’d be forgiven for finding it a tad uncomfortable.
The fact that James has perhaps gone beyond his purview lifting the lid on his relationship is another reminder that he, like the rest of us, is characterised by his flaws – it’s those fissures that keep him writing and continues to make his music so relatable. The magic comes when those intimate missives are paired with big, surging tunes that juxtapose the sense of rudderlessness with hope.
We’re Never Getting Out has the songs to last the course, even if James’ discussions about the record’s importance, viewing it as some sort of destination, won't chime with everyone. So while this isn’t a complete rebirth, it puts Deaf Havana back where they need to be, showcasing James’ ability to turn disillusionment and disappointment into bona fide bangers.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: Twin Atlantic, The Xcerts, Biffy Clyro
We're Never Getting Out is released on October 3 via So?
