Send "Skunk Anansie " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 For your average Joe and Jane; MyFace, Spacebook and Twatter have unfortunately made it easier to reunite with people that they have not seen in a while (most likely because they did not want to in the first place). In the music industry however, there is very good motivation for a band reunion to take place… The almighty dollar! With greater competition between music promoters and festivals nowadays, such organizers are having to think outside of the square to attract an audience… And it is band reunions which are currently very much in vogue. Hugely popular groups such as Rage Against The Machine, Blur, Faith No More, Blink 182, Van Halen and Jane’s Addiction have all recently reunited and made a fortune off of touring. Will these bands still be together in 3 years time? Will they have even released a new album? They did split up – or was it going “on hiatus” – for a reason, so it is fair to state that their re-appearance was significantly for bank balance purposes.These ultra successful artists have a difficult time successfully reuniting for any length of time, since the spotlight is well and truly on them to meet extremely high expectations. In fact, it could be argued that relatively less auspicious bands have a greater probability of longevity, since funding one’s retirement is unlikely to be the paramount reason for their reunion. One such example appears to be distinctive English hard-rockers Skunk Anansie. Releasing three acclaimed - if inconsistent – albums in the mid to late nineties, the quartet quietly disbanded at the turn of the century, with each member playing rather low-key roles in other musical projects (the most notable being Mark Richardson drumming for Feeder for seven years). Now, a decade on, Skunk Anansie are back. Unhurried, the band has gone about things the correct way; A ‘Greatest Hits’ package containing three new tracks… Then some touring… And finally; a brand new album in ‘Wonderlustre’. Those expecting Skunk Anansie to pick up right where they left off are going to be surprised – and possibly disappointed – with ‘Wonderlustre’ initially. There is a much more modernized sound exhibited here… And so it should be, since it is not 1999 anymore. The shaved head, six foot something black lead vocalist Skin (Deborah Dyer) may not have aged one bit, but she is clearly more content and less angry a decade on. Gone are the overt political and racial stances which permeated through their earlier work, even if the lyrics often retain the same darker edge behind the changed themes. Album highlight ‘Over The Love’ is evidence of a mature band in the here & now, with its soaring guitars and the LP’s best vocal hook. That is not to say Skunk Anansie are now a pop band. Lead single ‘My Ugly Boy’ and ‘Feeling The Itch’ contain the band’s trademark thick crunching guitar riffs and Skin’s assertive attention-getting vocals. The musicianship is as tight as ever on ‘Wonderlustre’, with everyone clearly on the same page....full text |
| Bbc |
| When Skunk Anansie released Smashes & Trashes, their greatest hits compilation, in 2009 after a decade’s absence, it was a reminder that they had some unfinished business. This was a band that had the music press quivering with a mixture of confusion and excitement, who teetered on globe-conquering greatness, and who wrapped things up quietly with no acrimonious divorce. Fourth studio album Wonderlustre sees the band return from, between them, solo albums, session work, music tuition and a seven-year stint in Feeder. But rather than instantly recommencing from 1999, it’s an engaging illustration of growth. It's a less spiked affair than previous long-players, but their distinctive rock dynamism is still present, and in generous abundance, frenetic drumwork and strapping licks playing host to mesmerising yet forceful vocals. Skin's solo work, while not exactly evolving her into an unmitigated pop princess, shone a light on a more refined, lush side put to further use on Wonderlustre, married beautifully with the edge and rawness of Skunk Anansie as a unit. It’s a skilful balance, best demonstrated by Over the Love’s descant riffs allowing Skin’s venomous words to do all the damage; or Feeling the Itch, sounding like a lost non-conjugal collaboration between Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. There’s no re-enactment of the haunting frailty of Hedonism or Secretly, though My Love Will Fall comes fairly close. It’s not that it falls short, necessarily – rather, Wonderlustre on the whole carries a more assured feel to it. One of Skunk Anansie’s key quirks was the ability to jump from aggressive, oestrogen-fuelled metal to poignant, vulnerable ballads. Wonderlustre, however, sees neither extremity covered, yet doesn’t suffer for it. There’s a confidence and a maturity – both sonically and lyrically – that actually makes it their most cohesive album to date....full text |
| Onemetal |
| What did I expect when I picked up Skunk Anansie’s latest release, Wonderlustre? In truth, I was hoping for that heady mix of honest metal riffs and searing raw female vocal lines; I was hoping for a return to the vibe that was defined by their 1995 debut Paranoid and Sunburnt. Paranoid and Sunburnt was 15 years ago, and Skunk Anansie have matured and grown away from that raw tone with each subsequent album. Now, a decade after their last studio album, they continue that evolution with Wonderlustre. Skunk Anansie define their own unique brand of alt-rock. Skin delivers her stunning, haunting and often melancholy vocals, frequently offset with her trademark self harmonies. There is a tighter, more refined sound, and tracks seem fuller and more well rounded. There is a real mix of styles, from pop-dance tracks such as ‘The Sweetest Thing’ to the pop-punk-rock ‘It Doesn’t Matter’. Tracks like ‘My Ugly Boy’ and ‘Talk Too Much’ feel a little more like the Skunk Anansie of old, but there is no ‘Selling Jesus’ or ‘Hedonisum’ here. Wonderlustre is not original, but it is unique and distinct – an intelligent and mature album, with a sound you won’t find else where. It won’t be for everyone, but Wonderlustre, with its mix of musical vibes, certainly has a broader appeal than previous outings. Not a metal classic, and perhaps not even for metalheads at all. But once I was over the initial disappointment that I wasn’t going see a return of 1995, I realised just how horrible that would have been....full text |
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