The Breakdown
Liverpool’s Courting return with their third album, Lust for Life, Or: ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story’, out this Friday via Lower Third. Following a whirlwind year that saw them release New Last Name, tour the US for the first time, and take on the main stage at Reading & Leeds, Lust for Life… finds the band pushing their sound to even more adventurous extremes. It’s a record packed with bold contrasts—sharp, chaotic, and brimming with ideas, yet never losing sight of melody or purpose.
The album kicks off with Courting’s take on modern classical, as winding, interwoven strings introduce a four-note motif that stretches out like an overture. It’s a moment of calm before the storm, as Stealth Rollback quickly rips through any sense of serenity with bass-heavy industrial noise, a drone-like synth build, and a full-throttle indie rock eruption, topped with a vocal that screams and hollers its way through the chaos. From here, the album barely takes a breath, racing forward with sharp, unpredictable turns. Pause At You pairs slashing, insistent guitars with a forceful vocal delivery, before settling into a pulsating, Strokes-esque indie groove.
The record’s momentum only builds from there. Namcy, a recent single, is one of the most immediate tracks on the album—a playful, driving piece of disco-tinged indie rock, bursting with infatuation and the giddy rush of new love. Eleven Sent (This Time) leans into a Britpop swagger, its melody worming its way into your head, while After You is arguably the album’s high point, pairing winding vocals with a relentless, driving rhythm. Each track shifts gears with precision, throwing in unexpected textures and twists while maintaining an infectious, hook-laden core.
Lyrically, Lust for Life… explores love, longing, life, and the inevitable cracks that form when fantasy collides with reality. Frontman Murphy-O’Neill blends wide-eyed optimism with knowing cynicism, painting vivid snapshots of fleeting relationships and fractured ideals, but also credit card scam – ‘it sounds silly, but there’s something really touching about it’, says O’Neill. References to Bowie’s Absolute Beginners and notions of escapism run throughout, tying together the record’s themes of hope, nostalgia, and disillusionment. The title track isn’t an Iggy Pop cover but rather a slow-burning, synth-laced track that gradually builds into indie rock gold, while closer Likely Place For Them To Be brings the album full circle, revisiting the opening motif—this time on electric guitar—before post-punk rhythms drive things toward a climactic finale.
With Lust for Life…, Courting prove once again that they’re one of the most inventive young bands around. It’s an album that constantly keeps you on your toes, full of sharp contrasts, restless energy, and songs that stick. The band might be threading the needle, but they make it look effortless.
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