LET GO

Album review

Digesting their prolific run of albums released at the turn of the decade, one might assume Let Go, KMFDM's 22nd album, would just sound exactly the same as everything else they've pumped out in recent memory. So it comes as a welcome shock that this set is varied, at points restrained, and surprisingly more nuanced than one might expect. In fact, if artistic evolution means anything, this is a catalog standout. One can really hear primary vocalists Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli stretching themselves here, taking risks to deliver something a little different than diehards are used to. The midtempo ode-to-youth "Airhead" plays more like a stadium-sized '90s alt-rock anthem, while the rousing title track features an unexpected horn section that blares to life halfway through, as Konietzko rallies listeners to set aside hate and move forward. He continues on the politically charged wake-up call "Turn the Light On," denouncing far-right opponents of women's rights, gun control, and reason, shouting declarations of "Thoughts and prayers won't stop the violence" through a squall of electronic noise. Meanwhile, some new wave flair is buried beneath their trademark chug and churn on the sublime synth-bop standout "Touch" and digitized dread permeates the epic "Next Move," which features an extended break where cold synths, elastic bass, and funky horns collide. For something more familiar, the piston-pulse of the meaty "When the Bell Tolls" finds Cifarelli at her most feral, while the raucous "Push!" launches the album into reliable territory with buzzsaw riffs, chaotic production effects, and bullet-blast percussion. One of KMFDM's best, most mature efforts, Let Go shows the society-skewing industrial vets still have some tricks up their sleeves, delivering an impressive and wholly unexpected experience 40 years on.

© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo