Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The wheels are in motion and minds are sharpened, the foxtrot of the overwhelming plot is picking up its pace and all around us, to those we expected better from and those that surprise with their clarity of expression and thought, all have their theories and their arguments ready; for the age of the Conspiracy Dance is not just upon us, but the band have been playing for a while and the lights have been blaring their shine into the deepest corners with such might that even the wallflowers have nowhere to hide.

There is a vast wealth of greatness waiting to be explored in The Loved Drones’ new album, Conspiracy Dance, least of all the superb way that they capture the spirit of bands such as Neds Atomic Dustbin, Half Man Half Biscuit and The Levellers, the music and the expression are brutal, but honest, the sentiment is not hinged by sentimentality, but enforced by creative freedom; the art of sedition is not to embrace the damage of others, but to beat it back with sticks and your own special version of anarchy.

Such is the ability to weave a tale of promise, that The Loved Drones strike home with particular insight, grit and determination that the memories of others is impossible to ignore, and yet they also do this with a sense of uniqueness which is comforting and direct.

Across tracks such as the excellent My Name Is Sky, The Last Night, the fear, and sadness that follows through in The Day That Bryan Gregory Died, the reality check of Quarantine and the glorious sucker punch of Baphomet, The Loved Drones get to the point of their own argument quickly, succinctly and with the force of right behind their steely grins and wide eyed persuasive conviction.

The wheels, in this particular vehicle, are not just in motion, they are leaving others behind to sift out the dust and soil from their eyes, looking longingly at the freedom that The Loved Drones have carved out for themselves. If you are going to dance, it is no good being shamed because you don’t know the steps; for The Loved Drones each move has been purposely created to fit the tune from the stage, and it one that will have your mind exposed to new ways to feel the beauty of freedom.

Ian D. Hall