Much-loved indiegoth dreamboats DESPERATE JOURNALIST returned to the thoroughly frayed musical fray with a brand new (and suitably autumnal) single called ‘Cedars’ on November 2nd. Propelled along by Rob Hardy’s startlingly lush guitar and empowered by a frankly cracking chorus from singer Jo Bevan ‘Cedars’ saw the quartet (see also: drummer Caroline Helbert and bassist Simon Drowner) further hone their sensitive-yet-crushing alt.rock sound, relishing the old school DIY dynamics but never afraid to magic up a shiny modern melody or three, and then always willing to cast a shadow over that sheen.
Happily, ‘Cedars’ is just the first track to come from Desperate Journalist’s third album. The album is called ‘In Search Of The Miraculous’. If the title conveys a sense of wide-eyed ambition then the music on ‘In Search Of The Miraculous’ fits the plot perfectly, featuring ten tracks fizzing with creative passion, giant choruses, heroic solos and poetic intensity. “I never liked your favourite band,” sighs Bevan at one gently cutting point in ‘Jonatan’.
Warning: this album contains love songs, anti-love songs and other songs wandering about, lost in an in-between-daze.