Released: 21 May 2021
Rating: ***
Gary Numan shares a stark warning on the devastating impacts of climate change on his cinematic new album ‘Intruder’.
The album, Gary’s 19th solo effort, marks his fifth collaboration with producer Ade Fenton and continues with the themes of previous release ‘Savage (Songs from a Broken World)’.
While that LP, according to Gary, is about a “climate apocalypse [at] some nameless point in the future,” his latest album “gets a little bit closer to the subject” of climate change.
The result is a heavy 12-track set, written from the viewpoint of the Earth as a final plea for change, with an oppressive instrumentation that hits as hard as Gary’s eye-opening lyrics.
“I could listen to you scream / Pretty music to my ears / I could listen to it all day / If you want me to,” opens lead single Intruder – ironically one of the livelier cuts on the album.
That won’t come as a surprise to fans of the New Wave icon, who’s known and loved for his dark, dystopian soundscapes, which he pushes to the limit this time around.
It’s often a success; moody opener Betrayed invites you into the world of ‘Intruder’ and envelopes you in a soundscape that’s quintessentially Gary Numan, while The End of Dragons has a mysticism that proves enticing.
Second single Saints & Liars and promo cut Now and Forever are both highlights, along with closing number When You Fall, which rounds off the set with a musical crescendo culminating in a scream-like climax.
Occasionally, the density of ‘Intruder’ proves oppressive to the point of distraction, crying out for a glimmer of light in the darkness that plagues the narrative – but perhaps that’s the point…
No doubt devoted fans will eat up ‘Intruder’ with all its angst, but those who found ‘Savage’ heavy listening be warned: you won’t find any reprieve here.
What can’t be ignored, however, is Gary, at 63, continuing to produce forward-thinking music with a purpose and a push for creativity – a testament to his legacy as a figurehead and pioneer of electronic music.
‘Intruder’ might not be packed with electronic pop numbers to appease casual fans, but as a concept piece Gary succeeds lyrically and sonically in highlighting urgency of the climate crisis like only he can.
‘Intruder’, out May 21, is available on CD, 2LP coloured vinyl, cassette.
