Hesitation Marks

Nine Inch Nails (a project which, as far as recording is concerned, is solely composed of jack-of-all-trades Trent Reznor) has returned, but not as we know it. Reznor claims the molten vehemence that he laid bare on earlier albums like Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral remains still present, but that “the rage is quieter”. An abstract statement, perhaps, but after one listen of his latest opus, listeners will likely immediately grasp where he’s coming from. The band’s sound still brings to mind claustrophobic feelings of angst and discontent, with melancholy vocals pushed forcefully against a harsh industrial background. This time out, however, it manages to do so through significantly less noisy channels.

Perhaps such news shouldn’t come as a surprise. 2005’s With Teeth and 2008’s The Slip both ditched screeching guitars for thoughtful electronic soundscapes, but Hesitation Marks comes full scale. It’s clear that this is work from the dominant half of the two-man team which assembled the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning The Social Network. Album highlight and quasi-opener ‘Copy Of A’ exemplifies this best, punctuated by a big bassline and a catchy (if subdued) chorus. ‘All Time Low’ and ‘Find My Way’ continue in a similar vein, whilst lead single ‘Came Back Haunted’ raises the tempo to that of Pretty Hate Machine standards.

‘Disappointed’ unearths memories of The Downward Spiral, but don’t let its title fool you: third single ‘Everything‘ is the real nadir of the album, plodding along to jangly guitars and – in a genuinely unusual development for Reznor – optimistic lyrics. The big, dirty beats of ‘Satellite’ mask some sickly-sweet vocals, before ‘Various Methods of Escape’ overdoses on auto-tune. No thanks. If listeners can look past this faux pas, however, there are some intriguing musical ideas buried within its structure.

Hesitation Marks is absolutely worth a listen for existing fans and newcomers alike, but it’s a shame that Reznor’s best songwriting days seemingly dissipated with the anger that coursed through his veins.

The tail-end of the album continues in the same manner, though each set of ideas is less captivating than the last (save for the sinister verses of ‘I Would For You’), culminating in the verging-on-dull plod of closer ‘While I’m Still Here’. Is the rage quieter, Reznor, or is it non-existent? It’s difficult to say, but the self-hating masochistic creepiness of his early records (which, in their heyday, were only matched in terms of shock value by Nothing Records label-mate Marilyn Manson) has been replaced by a middle-aged, married man, who is perhaps no longer sure what to be angry about. It’s up to the listener to decide if this is a good or bad thing, though the majority will likely decide on the latter. Hesitation Marks is absolutely worth a listen for existing fans and newcomers alike, boasting as it does a fresh, mature new sound, but it’s a shame that Reznor’s best songwriting days seemingly dissipated with the anger that coursed through his veins.

Similar To: How to Destroy Angels, Marilyn Manson

MP3: ‘Copy of A’