Skunk Anansie – “Anarchytecture” [Album Review]

As Anarchytecture sparks into life with the sexually charged swagger of “Love Someone Else” one thing is clear and that is that while it may have been over fourteen years since Paranoid And Sunburnt heralded the emergence of UK rockers Skunk Anansie on a Brit-pop obsessed scene in the time, they’ve lost none of the classiness that has made them such a special band.

Anarchytecture, the London rockers new album is a slick, polished slice of electro-rock from the outset but it is also one with two sides to its personality. One the one hand tracks like “In The Back Room” and “Victim” give off a dark, fizzing with electricity air that is punctured by Skin’s provocative lyrics and loads of electro-pop synths and big guitars whereas the likes of “Death To The Lovers”, “Without You” and hugely personal album closer “I’ll Let You Down” show a more heart-wrenching side to a band who were once seen as the angry , alt-rock siblings of the commercial Brit-pop scene. Now I know Skunk Anansie have done slower songs in the past but there is something about the more serene moments on this album which, while being undeniable polished and slick, just give Anarchytecture a really soulful feel to it.

Of course, you could argue that the slower numbers on the album aren’t what Skunk Anansie are about but, in answer to that the band show that, with tracks like “Victim”, they’re still capable of writing quality slices of agitated alt-rock. Basically, to sum up Anarchytecture, it’s an album that not only has moments where Skunk Anansie show they are growing graceful with age but one that can still cause a right rumpus when needed.

Track Listing:

01. Love Someone Else
02. Victim
03. Beauty Is Your Curse
04. Death To Lovers
05. In The Back Room
06. Bullets
07. That Sinking Feeling
08. Without You
09. Suckers!
10. We Are The Flames
11. I’ll Let You Down

Run Time: 37:48
Release Date: 15th January 2016

Check out the video for ‘Love Someone Else’ here