Prior to the making of
In the Grace of Your Love
, lead singer and lyricist
Luke Jenner
became a father, lost his mother through suicide, and converted to Catholicism. The events naturally had a major impact -- one far greater than the departure of bassist
Matt Safer
-- on
the Rapture
's fourth album. The dramatic changes in
Jenner
's life supplied him with a lot to work through, and they've fostered the most focused, song-oriented set of
Rapture
material -- one in which death, devotion, and children are recurring themes, expressed in states of deep anguish and redemptive joy. Despite a five-year gap in releases, the band's sound has not changed significantly, as it remains rooted in a form of dance-rock inspired by post-punk and new wave with the occasional diversion into full-on dance music (lean and dubby on "Come Back to Me"; blaring and gospel-oriented on "How Deep Is Your Love?," not a
Blaze
cover).
Cassius
'
Philippe Zdar
produced it all, and like another album with his touch,
Phoenix
's
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
, the shorter and longer songs both seem ideally constructed, as if he knows when to tell a band when to stop or elaborate. While it might not be as adventurous as
Echoes
or pack the swagger of
Pieces of the People We Love
,
is the band's most powerful and vital album thus far. ~ Andy Kellman