Anthems is unashamedly, and unreservedly an appropriate title for a record brimming with confidence, it doesn’t feel particularly punk, and it’s not supposed to. Opener “She (Makes The Devil Run Through Me)” provides an irresistibly catchy riff, and it’s not the last. The same can be said for one of the top tracks of last year, “Bury My Bones” with Carter outlining Pure Love’s ambitions: “I’m so sick of singing about hate, it’s time that I made a change.” Follow up “The Hits” centres around brilliantly scuzzy guitar work from Carter’s new partner in crime Jim Carroll, formerly of The Hope Conspiracy, whose power chords are the driving force of this album.
Carter’s time with Gallows, one of the UK’s most important bands in recent years, showcases his ability to scream and bleed vocally, but here he reaches a whole new level, as is clearly evident on the slow-burning “Anthem” and the U2 -esque “Heavy Kind Of Chain,” highlighting the classic rock direction Pure Love are embodying. Carter hasn’t totally given up on revolution however, with “Riot Song” offering a Manic Street Preachers sounding depiction of “a riot on the streets of England.”
It’s admirable to hear a band admit that they are directly going for the stadium rock, popularist market, and thankfully Anthems has the songs to back it up. Although the idea of seeing a face tattooed, fire haired front man gracing the world’s biggest stages may be somewhat unlikely.
