It’s a case of spontaneous combustion with Here and Now, the fourth album of sweeping post-punk propulsion and melodic darkwave immersion from a more impulsive Palais Ideal. Arriving at the studio empty handed this time, the duo of John Edwards and Richard van Kruysdijk believed creative sparks would fly from bold, off-the-cuff improvisation. The gambit worked.
Making a conscious decision not to overthink anything, Edwards and van Kruysdijk certainly fed off the inspired energy of their new approach, the flowing immediacy and dreamy, dancing hooks of “Deadlock” and “No-One” pulling even the most hesitant swimmers into their strong, jet-black currents. And while most of Here and Now, propelled by the sort of gripping bass lines their heroes made famous, navigates its undulating turns and carves pleasing shapes like Echo & the Bunnymen, it sometimes rages with Old Testament Killing Joke fury – minus the industrial clangor – in a fast-moving, expansive growler “Burn It Down” or machine guns “Easy on the Eye” with rapid-fire, punk urgency and chiming guitars.
Still stylish, sleek and fashionable in its Interpol phase, Palais Ideal chooses to wear its heart on its sleeve, opting for idealistic optimism while acknowledging the cruel madness, ugly dissension and cold disengagement of an exhausted and confused human race. They soar to glorious heights on a rapturous, widescreen “Hold on Tight to Nothing,” as the title track quickens pulses – all of it swirling and sinewy, the glowing definition of siren-like sounds cleanly flashing, even as Palais Ideal finds rumbling grit in it velvety pockets. Saving perhaps the best for last, “All As One” builds captivating drama and mystery, its unabashed call for unity writ large across starry skies. Here and Now lives in the present and manages to keep its sanity.
