Publicist UK - ‘Forgive Yourself’ (Album Review)

By: Mike Wilcox

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/08/2015

Label: Relapse Records

Melancholy guitar and vocals that sound both broken and heartfelt all at once seep into your being and any remaining self is filled with a sonic wash of drums, bass, organ, and other contributions. The listener is wrapped in a warm blanket, the music lulling them into a sleep, a calm…Publicist UK have very much succeeded in recreating that post-punk tranquilizer feeling

‘Forgive Yourself’ CD//LP//DD track listing:

1). Cowards

2). Slowly Dancing To This Bitter Earth

3). Levitate The Pentagon

4). Blood Relative

5). I Wish You’d Never Gone To School

6). Canary

7). Telegraphing

8). You Are The Stars

9). Away

The Review:

It’s not that I have been putting off reviewing Publicist UK’s album, “Forgive Yourself”, out now via Relapse Records, and it isn’t so much that I can’t quite gather feelings on the album.  The reality of the matter is that this is a tricky review for me to write because of how much I enjoy this album.  With the overall feel of a nod towards Bauhaus, The Birthday Party, and other cult favourites of the Post-Punk/Goth crowd, Publicist UK truly embody the hollow feeling that you used to listen to (and still do) Peter Murphy croon on about.  It’s all here.  With the second track, “Slow Dancing to This Bitter Earth”, pinpointing that nostalgic feeling and sound you can feel your body start to itch and the world start to fade.

Aside from my poor taste in humour, as the album continues and you are drawn in further and further still, everything becoming slightly fuzzy and warm all around you, “Levitate The Pentagon” strings you along images of a nation’s capital through disparaging eyes.  While it’s a known fact that I am more of an instrumental listener than otherwise, When Zach Lipez delivers his lyrics he feels firmly connected to them.  I want to listen.  He embodies his cold and objective words while David Obuchowski of Distant Correspondent on guitar, Dave Witte of Municipal Waste on drums, and Brett Bamberger of Revocation, fill the empty space around them with music that makes you warm in the best way.  And then you listen.  “Half our friends are in recovery, half our friends are dead.” You realize that inside of the warm blanket of the music is a dark and haunting message, a message that you can relate to.

There are notable elements of all member’s other projects, certainly enough for open minded fans to pick up on.  “I Wish You’d Never Gone To School” has a heavy feeling, a solid yet flowing drive throughout the song that Russian Circles fans and the like would groove on well.  Aside from focusing on a single track however, this album really is best appreciated when listened to as a whole.  Melancholy guitar and vocals that sound both broken and heartfelt all at once seep into your being and any remaining self is filled with a sonic wash of drums, bass, organ, and other contributions. The listener is wrapped in a warm blanket, the music lulling them into a sleep, a calm…Publicist UK have very much succeeded in recreating that post-punk tranquilizer feeling.  I’ll be eagerly watching this outfit for a while.

‘Forgive Yourself’ is available here

FFO: Beastmilk, Nothing, Joy Division

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