The Rapture-In the Grace of Your Love (2011)

The Rapture's latest album, In the Grace of Your Love (2011), sounds like it may have been produced by a different band when played along side the dance-punk rockers "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks" and "House of Jealous Lovers."  That's bound to upset fans of the band's blend of the Cure and the Talking Heads that was highlighted by their early EP and their beloved album Echoes (2003).  It may not be as shiny sounding as the Danger Mouse co-produced album Pieces of the People We Love (2006), but it puts the majority of it's emphasis on the dance side of the dance-punk equation, making it a worthy, albeit lesser, aural companion of DFA labelmate LCD Soundsystem's This is Happening (2010).  

The album kicks off with "Sail Away," a hi-hat/snyth driven rocker that supports Luke Jenner's yelping ballad.  It's a fine opener that quickly becomes overshadowed by the bass stride funkiness of "Miss You."  It's a break up song about being haunted, despite a nasty separation, by memories of a loved one.  Jenner bellows out a series of questions that captures the soul of the song:  "Why can't you let me go?  What did I ever do to you?  Why can't you let me know?  What did I ever do to you?"  It's one of the strongest tracks on the album, lyrically distilled and incredibly easy to dance to. 

Unfortunately, the momentum of the first two tracks runs into the stumbling block of "Blue Bird."  The falsetto and driving percussion of the track, coupled by the trite lyrics just do not fit.  The band redeems itself with the following three tracks beginning with "Come Back to Me," an odd blend of electrodance and Polka that some how, despite its eclecticism, ultimately works.  The band follows it up with the the album's title track which, despite some soulful longing, drew some hatred from the writers at Pitchfork who I think may be incapable of loving anything completely.  The third track during the album's smoothest section, "Never Gonna Die Again," verges on Bee Gees disco.  Jenner's delivery, punctuated by a Gabriel Andruzzi's walking bass and some funky rhythm guitar strums, longs for a healthy relationship. 

The band follows the track up a thematically similar track, "Roller Coaster," that is, quite frankly, simply tedious.  "Children" raises the bar a bit after the lows of the de-railed theme park ride and the album rights itself with the infectious piano and sax driven dance number "How Deep Is Your Love?"  It's hard to oversell just how great of an adrenaline rush the single is and while some critics have blasted the the chorus for being formally similar to "The Thong Song" ("Let me hear that song!" instead of "Let me see that thong!"), the instrumentation of both songs couldn't be further apart.  Plus, it formally evolves during its six-minute run time from relying on the piano rhythm track to a deep, room shaking, bass line that holds up a jazz saxophone.  It is a great dance club track that deserves your attention. 

The album ends with the pseudo-soul of "It Takes Time to be a Man."  I know the track hasn't worked for some, but I found it playful and meaningful way to bring the listener up from the sonic abysses of "How Deep Is Your Love?"  In the end, In the Grace of Your Love has two glaring misses yet they are surrounded by nine fine tracks providing over forty minutes of aural redemption.  I can live with that.