ALBUM REVIEW: I’ve Seen All I Need To See – The Body

THE BODY are one of the most prolific and creative bands working today. Defying every genre that record labels, PR teams and journalists try to lump them into, the shrieking, noisy duo have consistently released challenging records. Since their self-titled debut, we have seen them expand on their sound, adding pop sensibilities and string sections, or further utilising electronics to intensify their wall of noise. With I’ve Seen All I Need To See, Lee Buford and Chip King strip all this back and focus on the confrontational noise they can make with drums and guitar, along with King’s incomparable vocal style and constant looping feedback.

Buford’s drumming is the backbone of the record. On tracks like Tied Up And Locked In, it’s a constant rhythm, interacting with the distortion to become something all-encompassing. He takes the opposite approach on A Pain Of Knowing, using sparse beats that cut through the production like thunderclaps.

Around the percussion, King layers heavily distorted guitar lines and power electronics to create something that is punishingly heavy. His vocals add a new layer, as haunting as ever, and often the closest thing to a melody on show. At its heart this is experimentation. With a kindred spirit in the shape of engineer Seth Manchester, and some sparingly used guest slots for vocalist/pianist Chrissy Wolpert and vocalist Ben Eberle, the duo is working in the same way as a noise artist might. Taking the base sounds of a band and twisting and distorting them until into something new.

It makes for an enthralling and uncomfortable listen. The clipping in the production on A Lament gives the feeling of a track falling apart. The sudden bursts of cymbals and distortion in They Are Coming sounds as if they might really be coming. And when you reach the closer Path Of Failure, it’s a terrifying thunderstorm. A cacophony of violence erupting from your speakers.

This is an album that needs to be heard. It can’t be described. To break down what Buford and King do lessens it somehow as if THE BODY is greater than the sum of its parts. We’ve been spoilt with output from these guys, collaborating with bands like THOU, UNIFORM and FULL OF HELL and always adding something. I’ve Seen All I Need To See is a punishing reminder of what this duo can do on their own.

Rating: 9/10

I’ve Seen All I Need To See is set for release January 29th via Thrill Jockey Records.

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