Therapy? - One Cure Fits All (Spitfire Records) By: Ken McGrath

Once the beguiling ‘Outro’ has subsided things get off to their proper beginning with Sprung. Fans of this Northern Irish trio will already know that Therapy? like to open their albums up with a little blinder and this albums no different. Choppy, hi-hat heavy drumming that wouldn’t have been out of place on their Babyteeth debut slices the verses wide open, while during the chorus ringing guitars are the order of the day. “Don’t take it laying down” warns Andy Cairns during the bridge, before the rebounding riff bounds forth once again, the cymbal-led drums rounding the troops up for another chant of “they didn’t believe me then / they won’t believe me now”. Deluded Son keeps the adrenaline flowing, it’s huge, memorable chorus crying to be let loose as a single to wreck havoc over rock radio. The sparse verses are almost entirely composed of rolling drums, everything else cascading in then for the simple, yet compelling chorus. This one’s got ‘live favourite’ written all over it. ‘Into The Light’ continues the run, Andy’s wide-eyed vocals laced with a weird sense of charm, revealing this to be the next obvious step after the two albums that have gone before it. Like both High Anxiety and Never Apologise Never Explain, One Cure Fits All is classic Therapy? but without repeating themselves. As it stands they’re at the stage where they don’t have to worry about selling bin loads of singles, ruling myspace.com or competing with Fall Out Boy for the cover of your favourite rock magazine. They have reached a level that few bands get to, seventeen years together and once again with a steady line-up (Niall Cooper (drums) is thankfully showing no signs of giving up his place behind the kit), Therapy? have an immense back catalogue to call upon. But with material this strong there is no need to rely entirely on it. Sure, ‘Lose It All’, isn’t the best song they’ve ever written but Rain Hits Concrete shows development and maturity. As does the hyperventilating Fear Of God, the droning Unconsoled and Walk Through Darkness, which boasts a glorious bass-line courtesy of Michael McKeegan, that you could bounce around to all night long. Even Dopamine.Seratonin.Adrenaline. which at first comes across like a throwaway song reveals itself to be an infectious little number. Not relying on any formula and sounding like no-one apart from themselves Therapy? are still as relevant today as they were in 92 when Teethgrinder hit or in 94 when ‘Troublegum’ sent them into the upper atmosphere. If you have yet to be seduced then don’t worry, the preacher man with the crazy eyes and the goatee is standing behind the pulpit and he’s got a dose of the cure for you. Lie back and take it in through the ears.

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