Album Review: Enter Shikari – A Kiss for the Whole World
2 min read
Enter Shikari are back with their 7th studio album, A Kiss for the Whole World. The St. Albans band’s latest offering, produced under SO Recordings, was a much anticipated release, with frontman Rou Reynolds promising a collection of bangers – and they didn’t disappoint.
Immediately a fanfare of trumpets heralds the beginning of the album, and their namesake first track, A Kiss for the Whole World x. Up‐tempo drums, uplifting lyrics and spine‐tingling chord progression‐ tick! This is swiftly followed by (Pls) Set Me on Fire, providing an almost ska‐like element to the drums during verses, weaved in with post‐hardcore chords at the chorus. It Hurts provides dance music beats interspersed throughout the whole track with some beautiful vocals.
A true banger, Leap into the Lightning provides some heavy drums over electronicore riffs and extremely catchy vocals at the chorus that makes it easy to envisage 20,000 fans chanting along. The accompanying outro track, Feed your Soul, leans into classic 90’s house music beats immediately making you understand the influences of The Prodigy that the band have alluded to. Symphonic sounds in Dead Wood build though its entirety, whilst harmonic vocals showcase clever lyrics, tying reference back to the title. Up next, Jailbreak is another upbeat, up‐tempo tune, with more uplifting engaging lyrics pertaining to reaching beyond your own self‐beliefs and limits “I won’t be held captive, even though my mind is a prison cell’
The Second of the track/outro combination, Bloodshot & Bloodshot (Coda), provides an addictive blend of driving electronic beats and heavy guitar riffs. The outro track, Coda, provides an orchestral homage to the preceding tune, which really works well. Goldfish gives off more old school metal vibes, with Giant Pacific Octopus (I Don’t Know You Anymore) along with the third and final outro Giant Pacific Octopus Swirling Off into Infinity… ending the album beautifully, with a more post‐hardcore finale and an electro‐based outro rendition to accompany.
A Kiss for the Whole World is the type of album that encourages me to go online, buy a ticket, and check the band out in the flesh ‐ it evokes images of energetic crowds singing along to a slew of future classics. With the assistance of the outro tracks, this was a true ‘start‐to‐end’ album with few lulls. Rou Reynolds certainly delivered on his promises!
