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It seems The Boxer Rebellion are a resilient bunch. Loss of family,
a disintegrated label deal and a brush with death are all but bumps on the
road for lead singer Nathan Nicholson and company, who formed the band following
the loss of his mother. Miraculously they're soldiered on to create their
sophomore album Union in spite of industry issues and Nicholson's own hospitalisation.
His tenacity in recovering from five hours of surgery following
a potentially fatal burst appendix appears to have manifested itself in opener
Exits. A penchant for sweeping, falsettic vocal runs and
enormous, reverberated guitars calls Takk-era
Sigur Rós to mind.
As such, there is an abundance of climactic drama and haunting
sonic landscapes throughout Union. Like the stellar work created by
their Icelandic counterparts, The Boxer Rebellion are equipped with
anthemic qualities. In addition to Nicholson's skills the band also finds room for
the restless, complex drumming of Piers Hewitt and the squalling guitar of co-founder Todd Howe.
Together they infuse a perpetual sense of motion towards a cathartic culmination.
Maybe the band's capacity to build
and release tension mirrors their ability to rise above adversity. As
each enthralling, expansive chorus arrives, as it does in Flashing Red
Light Means Go and Evacuate, The Boxer Rebellion provide striking musical
representation of the vanquishing of the trials of life. Every dramatic chord progression,
such as the one beneath repeated calls of the title of Move On, tugs
at the gut. These are the sounds of Nicholson, freshly emerged from the
hospital, throwing wide his arms and releasing beautiful victory from his rebuilt belly.
The proper physical release of Union, like the version
released by the band this past January on iTunes, is not without its
faults. The enthralling Semi-Automatic, whose melody is a dead ringer
for that of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game, and the electronic
foundation of The Gospel Of Goro Adachi provide welcome
variety to the album which, given that those sweeping vocals become
rather indistinguishable as the album progresses, tends to verge on
repetitive. And, if we're honest, The Boxer Rebellion's sound is not particularly
groundbreaking.
But in spite of such minor shortcomings, Union as a whole makes
it hard not to root for a group determined to march on to great success
in their own way. Thankfully it's by virtue of their musicianship and
songwriting ability, and not just their encounters with multiple
devastating tribulations, that make The Boxer Rebellion a band to admire.
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Mercury Prize 2009 nominees
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