Blue October - Spinning the Truth Around album review

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For over a quarter of a century Texas’ Blue October have been a beacon of hope and illuminated the world with their thoughtful brand of alternative rock. Their 11th album is, as the title suggests, the first instalment of a double album, and it’s one that takes the listener on an emotional journey from ecstatic highs to dejected lows, and when Part 2 is finally released, Spinning The Truth Around is sure to take its place in the pantheon of classic double albums.

Some music immediately grabs you and gives a good shake, and that’s certainly the case with opening salvo, and title track, ‘Spinning The Truth Around’. It sounds as if vocalist Justin Furstenfeld has soaked his vocal cords in honey, and his oak-aged croak breathes life into the tune and makes for a three-dimensional experience. Powered forward by a driving beat, it would make the perfect accompaniment to a long road trip, and I couldn’t think of a better companion for cruising through a rain-soaked, neon-lit metropolis. However, it should always be a prerequisite to expect the unexpected when listening to Blue October, and ‘Spinning The Truth Around’ careens straight into a brick wall in the shape of a sudden sonic shift, and that’s just the type of musical choice which elevates Blue October above their peers.

Blue October are kinda like a musical equivalent of a David Lynch screenplay; beneath a calm, almost dreamlike exterior lies something much darker. That’s certainly the case with ‘How Can You Love Me If You Don’t Even Like Me’, a song whose lounge-like, almost jazz vibe masks something sinister, and the veil that separates both worlds becomes transparently thin. That Blue October, and this album in particular, has such a cinematic quality shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially as Justin Furstenfeld has recently made his big screen debut in the film Section 8, and he definitely brings a little of that blockbuster aesthetic here.

After years of bands focusing on singles, it seems that the idea of a full album is coming back in a big way. Of course, it’s a format Blue October have never shied away from, and they bring all their skills to bear on Spinning The Truth Around. Ebbing and flowing like an old school album, tracks such as ‘Change’ lift the listener up on angel’s wings, while ‘The Kitchen Drawer’ hits the depths as if dropped from a great height. The operatic vocals on ‘When Love Isn’t Good Enough’ add a moment of surrealism (where the hell did they come from?!) yet they fit into the overall arc of the album very well. Sometimes this record can lead you into some dark places, so final track ‘Big Love’ stands basking in bright sunlight, and its effervescent nature acts as a soothing balm to calm a troubled soul.

Spinning The Truth Around Part 1 finds a band who are determined to forge new ground, and in a case of fortune favouring the brave, the risks they take really pay off, and I can’t wait for Part 2.

Compulsive songwriter Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October is long past previous compulsions. The only thing he’s tested positive for in recent years is Covid, and he shook that off pretty quickly.

And now this authentic storyteller and mood maestro documents the very personal tale of two lovers’ journey, with Spinning The Truth Around (part 1).

A famous, long dead poet once said that “the best writing is about strong emotions recalled in tranquility”. Furstenfeld has clearly taken that on board. Listening to Spinning… is like picking a route through a tidal wave of emotion, with each song progressively marking a stage in his marital breakdown.

His scorched voice and world weary persona lives every moment. From the poignant soul mining – “I don’t want change, we both want more” – of the title track, ‘Spinning The Truth Around’, to the heart lifting confessions – “there was you and there was me, and it was the best days of my life – of ‘Don’t Say It Wasn’t Love’.

Musically, there’s a startling but very welcome jump from the jaw droppingly intricate, hypnotic rock arrangements of ‘The Kitchen Drawer’ and ‘Shut Up I Want You to Love Me Back’ to the rootsy, pared down groove of ‘Change’ and the velvety, whispering, ‘Love Isn’t Good Enough’.

It all flows, it all makes sense. There’s a vaguely spiritual sense of desolation running through it all. It’s catharsis. No doubt Part 2 (due next year) will herald a new beginning. ****

Texas six-piece Blue October return to the fray with their 11th full studio album counting from their 1998 debut; this is Spinning The Truth Around (Part I). Be careful not to confuse them with the Essex synth-pop band of the same name formed at about the same time; this latest offering from the Americans is the first in an ambitious trilogy that is expected to be completed next year with Parts II and III – in fact Part II has reportedly already been recorded. For now though, let’s see what the 57-minute opening gambit has to offer.

Blue October offer a consciously radio-friendly sound, and this is a pop album without doubt. That doesn’t mean it’s happy-go-lucky though, as they specialise in the darker end of the spectrum, with a particular penchant for moody, reverb-heavy piano outros, which feature on no less than four of the twelve tracks on offer. Neither do they shy away from dropping the odd profanity into their lyrical content, so it’s probably not a great idea to buy the album for your granny for Christmas, no matter how much she says she likes the lead single, the melodic, beaty but easy title track featured at the foot of this page. Front man and main songwriter Justin Furstenfeld has a laid-back vocal style; for this song, which also opens the album, his pleasant, smoky voice is laid over a constant drum beat and airy keyboard pad. The ambient, heavily reverbed piano ending forms an extended outro on this one, ending on an ominously unresolved note.

Blue October - Spinning the Truth Around album review
Blue October - Spinning the Truth Around album review
Photo by Rachel Ziegler

The Shape Of Your Heart recalls early Whitesnake, with the guitar arpeggio intro and rumbling bass, with a side-order of staccato ‘80s Eurythmics keyboards. The vocals are almost whispered for the first half of every verse; the second half appears to be double-tracked, with one voice each side of the stereo pan, another effect which adds to the slightly disturbing vibe. The third song carries the title How Can You Love Me If You Don’t Even Like Me, although the phrase is subverted into something slightly different in the lyrics; in any case it’s a dark and heavy theme for a relatively tuneful and catchy pop song. Some backward-masked guitar adds a bit of extra texture, before the atmosphere is lightened somewhat by the more upbeat Don’t Say It Wasn’t Love, with its gospelly background vocals. This number features another atmospheric piano ending with breezy echo effects underneath.

Change is more of a slow rock number, with screeching, acid rhythm guitar work, a vocal duet and a distinct ambience of David Bowie. The double-tracked vocal effect is used again, but this time with different voices, which makes it even more effective. For me, this is a highlight of the album, with several layers of interesting arrangement; a groovy bass section with finger-snapping percussion adds a flavour of Prince to the proceedings too. The bizarrely-titled Where Did You Go? I’m Less Of A Mess These Days is nevertheless somewhat more upbeat again, with acoustic guitar strumming reminiscent of George Michael’s Faith – this number is heavy on the expletives, and they are in fact an integral part of the song rather than just bitter interjections.

I think the above is enough to give an idea of the general flavour of the set; the other number that deserves special attention is When Love Isn’t Good Enough, with its Mark Knopfler-esque muttered prose narrative. The song is draped over an uneasily wonky drum beat in 3-4 time, with loads of reverb thrown in – it starts with a creepy, stalker-type theme, before drifting impressively and unexpectedly into some Italian light opera halfway through. A seven-minute experimental epic, it drifts through a Coldplay mid-section before breaking down into weeping violins towards the end, played over a piano with ambient effects, ending with urban traffic sounds. It’s a great piece of theatre, a real highlight, and is followed by the most bitterly caustic number on the album, the misleadingly-titled Trust You.

If you like your pop dark, brooding and heavy, then this will definitely be up your street; it’s excellently produced and the heavy drapery of effects and reverb add to the foggy curtain of doom. Fans may already know that the multi-talented Furstenfeld is also making his feature film debut this autumn as a villain in the action movie Section 8, starring Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke. Hopefully they’ll still have time to get that third part recorded though.