ALBUM REVIEW: Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful

9/10

ALBUM REVIEW: Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful

Everything Was Beautiful is the 11th studio album from J Spaceman, and his ensemble of over 30 musicians and singers begins with ‘Always Together With You’. This is classic Spiritualized right from the off, a stunning opener, and the first single released from the album. Is this as good as it gets? NO. This is the perfect introduction to what is J Spaceman’s best work since the superb Let It Come Down.

Everything Was Beautiful was recorded throughout the pandemic, which everybody’s favourite Psychedelic Astronaut enjoyed at 11 different studios. He managed to play just the 16 different instruments on it this time around. The second track, ‘Best Thing We Never Had,’ has an early 70s Stones feel about it, a stompin’ pedal to the Bluesy metal number with a horn section adding even more energy to an already HUGE tune.

The pace slows right down for the following two tracks, ‘Let it Bleed’ is a romantic and intricate lullaby that builds throughout, going off on tangents here and there, whilst ‘Crazy’ is as close to Country that J Spaceman has got, an older brother to Primal Scream’s ‘Damaged’ perhaps.

The B side opens with the sound of an old train rattling through a windswept town, giving way to what sounds like something that was taken from a Spacemen 3 album; this is a joyful anthem, there’s talk of  “going to the city again”, it’s another killer track. ‘The A Song (Laid In Your Arms)’ is another builder, backed with a heavy organ and thundering drums, spiralling into Free Jazz, lining us up for the epic finale, ‘ I’m Coming Home Again’.

The 9 minutes and 54 seconds that follow are the Spaceman at his finest. A heavy bass line that wouldn’t sound out of place on a mid-70s Floyd album gives us the track’s backbone, whilst layers of guitars take us on the final journey. All the while, the choir are singing “I’m coming home again” repeatedly. With Everything Was Beautiful, J Spaceman has come home again, a gorgeous album from start to finish.

Xsnoize Author
Sean Crossey 86 Articles
Seán is based in Manchester; his favourite artists include James Brown, MF Doom, The National, Bon Iver, Radiohead, Eric B & Rakim, Aretha Franklin, Serge Gainsbourg, John Lennon and Public Enemy. Sean has also been a promoter, DJ and a failed musician. Nowadays he resides in the Northern Quarter of Manchester and is a vinyl junkie, sneaker collector and MCFC fan.

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