Enemies – Valuables (2016)

Enemies, freed from the expectations of their fans after announcing their disbandment in September, released Valuables as their third and final LP. Written during a turbulent period of their almost ten year long career, Valuables begins with the anthemic ‘itsallwaves’. There are many moments of tranquillity subtly nestled in a bigger soundscape, widened by the addition of synthesised elements. Clearly, there was a lot of growth in the three years between this and ‘Embark, Embrace’.  It’s from the latter of ‘Leaves’ where the record takes a different turn. The turbulence the band have experienced can be heard as the repetitive vocoded vocals relentlessly charge towards a climactic point, only for the dark clouds to drift away again. This effortlessly listenable and playable offering from the Irish quartet feels almost like a sigh of relief. Valuables might be a tension release for some, but a breath of fresh air for future listeners. Enemies should be proud to be remembered for this.