Courting – Pause at You Review

Let us now label Courting as a “prolific rock powerhouse” and be done with it. A third album announcement from the Liverpool-based band is a real treat to kick on into the new year with. Finally, something to look forward to that isn’t the Electric Light Orchestra mosh pit in Hyde Park. Pause at You marks the lead single of Lust for Life, unrelated to Iggy Pop and Lana Del Rey’s efforts of the same name. Neither act has a monopoly on the sin of connection, of desire and passions. Courting has ditched the wilder side of their sounds, but not completely. Their direct cut for Lust for Life is clear and a fitting next step for the electronic-themed sound they are still capably piecing together. Dance-punk stylishness is the way to go, then, and for Courting it works a treat.  

Those who had already listened to previous albums Guitar Music and New Last Name already knew this, but Pause at You, this first single, is a great entry point. It all is. Grow up. Pick a place to start. Why not here? Flashing lights, the Big Apple as a crutch for finding yourself as the whiplash effect of fame and the rise of interest from beyond the stage is all profiled here. Instrumental effectiveness is their consistent joy here. Just when you thought Courting had found some comfortable sound to work through, to bring influence from or to nod towards, they change it up spectacularly. To that end comes Pause at You, a blur of what made their earliest works so comforting and challenging. Erratic brilliance from vocalist Sean Murphy-O’Neill, the slight electronic pop in his voice reserved for the chorus, is the driving force of Pause at You.  

If the point of Lust for Life is to be direct then Pause at You is on the right track. For the passive listener, it works as a punchy and straight-shooting slice of indie rock with a few bells and whistles attached. For those in for the long haul, strapped in and tugging at a broken seatbelt, Pause at You will prove one of the most venomous and exciting tracks from the band. For an album set to remove the overthinking excess, Pause at You is filled with telling comments which could or could not comment on how the band feels about touring. Not everything has meaning but the repetition of the billboard to stage and back again does tell of a cycle, the exit and re-entry of a band who has dedicated much of their time to growing their influences, to producing work after work for an endless tour of the world.  

A slippery position to be in but what a great time to tell it. Pause at You is direct. Direct does not mean clear. It may be an in-your-face and confident single, a smash to the mouth and a kick to the ears, but Pause at You has the confidence and instrumental skill to continue, to crunch and crash with the electronic brilliance that precedes it. This is not more of the same but a consideration of where it has gotten them. For all the thrills and spills the song will offer fans and newcomers alike, it is hard to forget the consistency of it, the crushing bassline and the spirited riffs to come from the Courting whole. Consistent, considerate, and cool. The big three of Courting. Pause at You has the punchy qualities of their best work, and it falls in line with their high points.