The poles of grace and squalor

It's possible to take the title of British Sea Power's latest LP, Do You Like Rock Music?, as a sort of veiled threat: "Well do ya, punk?" seems like a natural subtitle, and not without reason. The loud Brighton foursome have always known their way around a chivalrous intimation of violence, as exemplified by the lyric, "I wrote elegiac stanzas for you/I hope and pray that they come true," from their last record. Similarly, their music charts a course between the poles of grace and squalor—an intricate tonal balance that pays off most satisfyingly on this, their most complex and accomplished album.

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