David Comes to Life topped the list of my top ten records of 2011. I think I knew that would be the case before the other half the year had even happened. I can't remember which song appeared on the internet first, the brilliant introduction of Queen of Hearts ("Hello my name is David / Your name is Veronica!" is a huge chorus) or the more elaborate The Other Shoe, but I was suitably impressed by both and eagerly awaited the album's release. When I first played it, I had to play it again straight away because I couldn't wait to hear it another time.
I became a fan of Fucked Up much later than most, so to me they've never been about 2-minute hardcore songs; I first heard them when The Chemistry of Common Life came out and the music on there is the Fucked Up I got into. This album takes my favourite aspects of the last record, throws in a large serving of concept album (I'm a sucker for a concept album), spreads it all out over 18 songs and makes an incredible album of it. I can never quite figure out if Damian's vocals are at odds with the music the other five are playing, or if they've created something entirely new that works perfectly together; at times he's working to a beat of his own, but then it keeps finding a rhythm with the rest of the band. Queen of Hearts, Turn the Season and I Was There all give examples of this. On Serve me Right he sings the chorus faster than I can even read the lyrics. There's also the contrast between the gruff male vocals and the smooth female ones on The Other Shoe, Running on Nothing and throughout almost all of the album.
I'll be honest, the plot of the album does lose me a little and, despite a number of attempts, I can't quite follow it. I've read people's ideas about what's going on, but that's just confused me more (somehow the narrator is part of the story?). Yet I still think the album is great. Maybe it's enough to know there is a plot holding these characters and songs together, or maybe it's just that I love the music so much it doesn't matter. (The significance of all the songs having three-word titles is lost on me too.) There are highlights throughout the album, but I particularly enjoy the five songs from Act 4 (it could be because they provide closure to a story I don't get, but it's more likely that they're just great songs). I Was There demands my whole attention every time I hear it.
I've been putting off writing about this album for ages, because I knew it would take ages to write. On top of that there's all the pictures to take of the things inside the sleeve. They've made a nice package here (all pictured below): a fake cover with a poem on the back, a gatefold sleeve (with pictures from one of the videos), a huge poster with lyrics and yet another poem, and a download code. The matt-black sleeves for the records are a nice little touch, for reasons I can't quite figure out myself. Also, Banquet had packs of five postcards with the album giving even more details about the five characters.
All in all, easily the album of 2011, and definitely a new entry into my top 50 albums of all time I reckon. I look forward to December 2020 to see where this album appears on my albums of the decade list; I have no idea where I'll be or what I'll be doing, but I hope (and imagine) I'll still think this is a incredible album.
Format: double 12", gatefold, 24"x24" poster, second album cover, 5 postcards
Tracks: 18
Cost: £12.35 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 21/06/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: download
