Slow Club – Complete Surrender

Sheffield duo Slow Club have enjoyed a steadily growing appreciation for their emotive, compassionate music since their formation in 2006. The band has recently released their third LP Complete Surrender and is currently receiving glowing reviews for their live tour.

Their latest musical offering sees Slow Club continue their penchant for evolution. With their first album Yeah, So providing the folk-pop of their whimsical adolescence and the second, Paradise, delivering a darker sound of growing maturity, Complete Surrender sees the twosome stride boldly into a new soul-rock fusion.

Within the track Not Mine to Love, Rebecca Taylor as lead vocalist skilfully sidesteps contrivance as she majestically provides sentimental and impassioned lyrics. Taylor’s voice is wonderful throughout, littering every song with a soulful, striking signature that drives the album’s personality. 

Although Slow Club’s other half, the multi-instrumentalist Charles Watson, doesn’t provide as many harmonies as he did on the band’s previous two LPs, his heady falsetto vocals are just as significant here. Watson’s contrasting tones rip through and layer the music as well as introducing conflict and variation; two essential ingredients for making such great narrative.

Paraguay and Panama provides Watson the platform to take vocal charge and he achieves a bittersweet reflectiveness, reminiscent of a man remembering a happy, yet painful memory while resenting the knowledge of having to know better. The album’s opening track and biggest achievement Tears of Joy is a subtly heart-wrenching romantic ode, comparable in sound to band Broken Bells. Sweet and beautiful in its execution, the song showcases Slow Club’s ability to juxtapose their melodies against opposing themes, creating poignancy and rewarding lyrical gravitas.

Throughout the album, especially within more energetic peaks, the influence of Fleetwood Mac, The Supremes and Sam Cooke are heard, indicating a band growing along with their music. Also by harbouring instrumental restraint throughout the LP, Slow Club has achieved a cerebral success, highlighting the duo’s intelligent song writing and sincerity.

Complete Surrender’s success conjures images of the band’s growing fan base, clenching crossed fingers and praying for a much shorter interval than the three years they patiently lingered for this album’s arrival. Regardless of the length of the next agonising wait, though, Slow Club have proven that once again it will be worth the pain. 

Booker Woodford

Complete Surrender was released on 14^th July 2014. For further information or to order the album visit Slow Club’s website here.

Watch the video for Tears of Joy here: