We were at uni in Newcastle when Maxïmo Park broke into the mainstream with their energetic, anthemic indie tunes.  Their music was - and still is - distinguishable from other bands in the same genre largely because of Paul Smith’s distinctive tones; now, over ten years on from the release of their debut A Certain Trigger, do they still stand out?

Risk To Exist is the band’s sixth studio album, and Smith’s admitted that this album has “more socially-minded lyrics”, and is a little “groovier” than its predecessors.  Certainly, having accidentally left the music on shuffle, we couldn’t necessarily distinguish the new tracks from early Maxïmo Park, but there is definitely a progression of sorts.  

The album does have a political slant to it; album opener ‘What Did We Do To Deserve This’ appears to be an anti-Brexit ode, with lines like "this is not the good days", "Let’s all pretend to tell the truth", and "what did we do you to deserve this?" almost being spat out.  Equally, ‘Work And Then Wait’ shares some of the vitriol from the off; “The Old Boys club has been throwing its weight around/It’s been around so long and I’m sick of the sound”. “I won’t be put in my place,” Smith continues; “The hand that giveth is set to taketh away/They strip you of your dignity/They make you work and then wait”.  He goes on to comment on “right-wing views” - just in case the message was unclear.  

The Hero' is quite a funky number, with driving chords and a bit of a disco beat.  However, listen more acutely and the message is far from fun: “They say money doesn’t change a thing/but you can bet that they’re not suffering/ when you’re on the lowest rung/ you’re going to get stung.” The music seems at odds with the lyrics; such an upbeat soundtrack grates a little with the discontented wording.

The two songs most in line with previous Maxïmo Park releases are probably ‘The Reason I Am Here’ and the title track, which has been released as the lead single.  Each track showcases the anthemic chorus the band is known for and both seem to have the energy of old. 'Risk To Exist' in particular wouldn’t be amiss next to 'Apply Some Pressure' or 'Velocity', with its gun-fire-like drums and catchy refrain.  

Other tracks include 'Get High (No, I Don’t)', a catchy but somewhat wishy-washy contribution, and 'I’ll Be Around' - both definite album tracks. Paul Smith’s questioning continues in 'What Equals Love', though his attentions turn to love rather than government here.  

Ultimately, there are two main themes running across Risk To Exist: empathy and solidarity.  They crop up in almost every song, and it’s clear that Smith has a lot he wants to get off his chest with regard to both, whether that’s politically or romantically.  Musically, there’s a touch of soul injected into each track; as Smith mentioned, things are a little funkier - although everything still has that undeniable Maxïmo Park sound.

When there’s a band that reminds you of a certain period of your life, it can be hard to move on with them as they progress musically as you cling on to the nostalgia. Ten years ago we were pogoing along to 'Graffiti' in the basement of the student union with a belly full of cider and a heart full of hope.  We’ve all got older, wiser and a little more cynical - but Maxïmo Park are still belting out the tunes we used to know and love in the beginning.  Risk To Exist is a bit different, but it’s not different enough to alienate existing fans, unless you disagree with Smith’s politics - but then you probably wouldn’t be listening to this anyway.

Risk To Exist is available from amazon & iTunes.   

It's been ten years since Maximo Park released A Certain Trigger, their seminal debut. Arguably a defining record of the mid-'00s indie boom, a lot has changed since Paul Smith and co scissor-kicked their way on the pages of NME. Many of their contemporaries have split up or faded in to obscurity, whilst others have been catapulted in to mega-stardom. Maximo Park on the other hand, have done none of those things. Instead they've tread comfortable waters, releasing a steady stream of albums, toured regularly and been celebrated by an ardent yet modest by comparison fan-base.

Tonight the focus is on their debut though, the album that made many of us here at the Albert Hall fall in love with the band, and the album which we're here to see in its entirety. The first half of the evening however, is dedicated to singles and rarities, the band careering through 'Girls Who Play Guitars' and 'The National Health', before a rare outing of early B-side 'A19' gets the pulses of die-hard fans racing. As does similar B-side 'A Year of Doubt', but it's 'Our Velocity' that gets the loudest reaction of the evening; the crowd's roar drowning out everything.

From our position behind, above and to the right of the stage, Smith's clearly overwhelmed by such a response, and thriving off it. Performing some impressively acrobatic dance moves that defy his skinny jeans, he bounces from band member to band member with gleeful abandon. Though there's little in the way of crowd interaction, it's more than made up for with the conviction they lavish on tracks that must have been played hundreds of times before.

In what's “possibly the longest encore ever”, over half the set in fact, Maximo Park begin the second part of the evening with 'Signal and Sign'. It's clear that these songs mean as much to the band as they do the crowd and it's obvious they enjoying playing some of these songs for the first time in a while. 'Apply Some Pressure' goes down predictably well, as does 'Going Missing', the track which spawned the aforementioned B-sides. Personal highlights come in the form of 'The Coast Is Always Changing' and 'Acrobat', though it seems the latter hasn't been played in a while, given Smith's, possibly ironic, reliance on a lyric book.

Though it's been over ten years since these tracks were written, they still resonate as strongly as ever. Some even more so. And while Maximo Park haven't reached the same kind of dizzying heights as early contemporaries such as Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian, their fans have stuck by them for a decade, something which stands as a testament to their longevity and something that makes tonight feel like a celebration of their relationship with their fans, as much as of that crucial first album.