Quicken the Heart

Maxïmo Park | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 12, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warp Records
• ASIN: B001UE8J1W
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,895 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

What have Maxïmo Park got?
They ve got two albums that are just about to go platinum in the UK. A Mercury nomination for the first one, 2005 s A Certain Trigger. An impassioned fanbase that tunes in to Paul Smith s idea-packed lyrics, the songs intense pop explosion, and the band s incendiary live shows. They ve got a fanbase that turns out in droves whenever the Newcastle five-piece performs. They ve got an umlaut above the i in Maxïmo. It s the detail that matters, right? And Maxïmo Park got da funk. And they got da disco. And they got the big fckff siren klaxoning its way through Wraithlike, the opening song on their third album Quicken The Heart. Smith, Lukas Wooller (keyboards), Duncan Lloyd (guitars), Archis Tiku (bass) and Tom English (drummer) have made an album that does what it says on the cardiopulmonary resuscitation tin.
I thought the title was apt considering the new songs have a very upbeat nature, says Smith. He s shaving as he talks, standing in a hotel room in Cologne, readying for a covershoot for a German music magazine. Maxïmo Park, unlike many of their so-called peers, are properly big in Europe. They re very euphoric, the frontman continues. Sometimes very dark but at all times they re meant to quicken the heart and set the pulse racing. The line is taken from Wraithlike, and the whole idea of that song is questioning why you d write a song. Well, we write songs to convey emotions and express ourselves. Which may sound like a very basic thing to say. But having listened to a lot of pop music on the radio in my time, I know that that s not normally the case. It was an instinctual thing, says Wooller of that siren revving up through the revved-up Wraithlike. Always on the lookout for hidden sonic corners in his battery of keyboards, he found the sound by accident. Sometimes the simplest things are the best - and having the confidence to do the simplest thing is important. I think the record is shot through with that
feeling. It feels like a very natural record, adds Lloyd. Although there s nothing natural about a record with synths that sound like guitars, and guitars that sound like they re being played by Giorgio Moroder. Nothing natural, but everything exciting...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maximo #3- another consistent and excellent album!!, May 25, 2009

By 

R. Stott (Aurora, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quicken the Heart (Audio CD)

I have been on the Maximo Park bandwagon since accidently discovering their debut, A Certain Trigger back when it was first released in the UK. Paul Smith's writing is consistently intriguing and the band's sound comes together explosively across all 3 of their albums. Standouts on Quicken the Heart include "Wraithlike" with it's sonic wall of sound, single "The Kids are Sick Again" and "Calm". Can't find fault in this release although some media reviews call it selling out...I'm having a hard time seeing where they see that at all! Here's to another UK original band! Glad they're touring the US this summer too- I have my tix to their Denver show :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quicken the Heart rocks, August 11, 2009

By 

Wolverine Laxman (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quicken the Heart (Audio CD)

The CD is a rocking affair, as the guitars dominate the songs. I admit I miss some of the organ work that was present on the two previous albums. This is a CD you want to hear live. I can't wait to hear Wraithlike, Roller Disco Dreams, Questing Not Coasting, and The Kids Are Sick Again when MP plays in D.C. in September. Some have criticized the CD as a sellout, but that' far too harsh. Sure, it's not quite up to A Certain Trigger, but it's still better than 95% of the "indie" music coming out today. The CD is a definite buy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent album, September 27, 2010

By 

Quantum Kev (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quicken the Heart (Audio CD)

I first got introduced to Maximo Park while watching a Glastonbury Festival from 2007 on a music channel, and I pretty much fell in love with them instantly. I picked up their first EP as my proper introduction to them and loved it. So I thought I would take a chance and buy their newest release - and I am SO glad I did. I love this album!

It is hard to describe their sound and do it any justice, but I will try my best : to me, it is something like a mashup of the best of The Smiths, The Cure, DePeche Mode and Ned's Atomic Dustbin - and yet it is not any of those things. To me, they sound like awesome 80's alternative, but in their own way : very melodic, smart lyrics, good to dance to, and just all around great listening.

Now, my only question is - when are these guys coming to the States?!?! I would love to see them in concert. But until that time comes, I will play the heck out of this CD, because it's fantastic.