Track-listing ten variations of electro-pop tunes, composer Jamie Mcdermott is back with another technicoloured project. Known for his unapologetic transparency with his sexuality, Superheroes is a beautiful open book of his journey uniting with his mental health, masculinity and homosexuality.
Airy opener, ‘Anxiety’, delves straight into the dark with cult-like chants, and simplistic electronica. Jamie’s minimal whispers linger like a shadow. Easily comparable to any mental health struggle, ‘Anxiety’, encapsulates the much relatable feeling of being worn down by your own mental psyche – a powerful opening for Superheroes.
New wave follow-up, ‘International,’ features unusual celestial chimes, and is completed with French vocals. Industrial, sensual, with a hint of superstition, ‘International,’ exudes Tricky influences and for me is an easy album standout. Words really don’t give this track justice, standing on its own terms, this track is a short orchestral tour de force.
In the first two tracks Superheroes is a deep extraterrestrial creative journey, and as you dive further into the album, you experience buoyant synths, industrial rock and angelic lyrical story telling. Throughout this piece you get to feel every thought process Jamie is going through in each track, and that’s the rewarding purity of Jamie’s message. In Superheroes there is nothing to hide, from dark lows to overpowering highs, you feel them all.
Thrusting a vivid sensual fantasy, ‘Dominance,’ echoes lyrics, “I’ve got some kinky shit, I’d like to try with you.’ This distorted cut is a playful addition to the track-list and features a great mix of influences; think Rammstein meets Kraftwerk, meets Nine Inch Nails. Later followed by seventh track, ‘The Abandonment of…EGO,’ this theatrical piece sees bouncy electropop with an unexpected screamo vocal from Jamie. Splashing jazz, electro synths with screamo, ‘The Abandonment of EGO…’ really electrifies the versatility The Irrepressibles have to offer.
Track-by-track Superheroes harnesses Mcdermott’s eclectic range and is a conscientious guide into his healing process. Penultimate, ‘The Distance of Time Between Us,’ is a short monologue of what feels like a spoken word breakdown of Mcdermott overcoming the loss of a loved one. The silence behind Mcdermott’s vocal intensifies and suddenly all there is to focus on are his words. Completing with dreamy, ‘The Most Beautiful Boy (Strong Outside A Man, But Inside a Boy),’ this atmospheric track is the perfect ending, inset chef’s kiss. Wonderfully euphoric, this dream-like love song is pure as ever. It’s hard not to fall in love with this album, its shameless narrative is refreshing to say the least – but also a very on-the-nose representation of Mcdermott’s narrative within The Irrepressibles.
