Stone Roses All For One review: More of the glorious same from the Madchester lads
The band's first release in 21 years is a jangly crowd-pleaser boasting plenty of ingredients present in their tracks of old
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Your support makes all the difference.“None of us has ever considered this band as a hobby. We got together with the deliberate intention of composing classic songs and that's just about what we've done.”
Arguably the Madchester scene’s most pioneering act, The Stone Roses made two records between 1989 and 1994 before disbanding in 1996.
Fans may have been contented to re-listen to those "classic songs" (mentioned by guitarist John Squire above) right up to their reunion four years ago - but now, with a fresh slew of stadium dates commencing next month, expectation has been placed upon the Ian Brown-fronted band to release new music, more deafening than the crowds assembled at their 2012 Heaton Park homecoming gigs.
Well, they're back and "All For One", quite simply, is more of the glorious same; a jangly crowd-pleaser boasting plenty of ingredients present in their tracks of old.
Beginning with a fade in that could just as easily herald "Waterfall," Brown and the gang lull you into a false sense of been-here-done-that before slam-dunking a rambunctious riff that'll have lager swirling well over the tops of plastic cups this summer.
Courtesy of Reni's skipping drum beat, Squire's stunted but no less rollicking guitar solo and that quintessential Roses flanging sound (don't know what I'm talking about? Revisit "Don't Stop"), you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled into "I Am the Resurrection"s blistering coda.
The song does become repetitive - Brown, pretty much just repeating its mantra, doesn't have too many lyrics to learn here - but The Stone Roses have always known a good thing when they've got it. "All For One"s Revolver-esque concoction of simple summer indie rock prevails.
Maintaining their sangfroid with swaggering hubris, it looks that - for the approaching months, at least - the Mad will be returning to Manchester.
"All For One" is available to download now.
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