Hawkwind – There Is No Space for Us Review

Hawkwind may feel there is no space for them, but there is. There is no space for their AI slop cover, that is for certain. It was seemingly inevitable the long-serving rockers would head down that route, as the likes of Neil Young and Electric Light Orchestra have in recent years. How much is up to the artist is not quite clear. Whatever the case, it is a hang-up worth noting as the band portrays little change since their preceding, transitional-sounding slump, Stories from Time and Space. These are more stories from the past. Perhaps there is little space for Hawkwind after all. A great shame to realise, given their legacy. They have cut too many corners on recent releases. Only those who remember the good old days, who suggest youth is the enemy of sound, can truly suggest Hawkwind in its current form is as good, or deserving of our ears, because of their longevity.  

Crack through the generative artificial intelligence slop, though, as on the other side is some relatively fun instrumental work. That is the baseline Hawkwind must work with. There is No Space for Us opens with some solid art rock, instrumental deliveries which elicit those familiar modern and soft psychedelic tones. Lead singer Dave Brock and his lower octaves, the spoken word fear he manages to capture when the lyrics are just right, is marvellous. When you plaster artificial slop on your cover, you had better make sure the music is unique. Hawkwind follows the space rock system of their last few albums and comes through with relatively solid offerings. Beyond its strong opener, There is No Space for Us has moments of interest embedded in each song, though none are more than the sum of its parts. Electric guitar riffs and a nice selection of brass offerings will give hardcore Hawkwind heads what they are looking for.  

What becomes clear is that Brock has a fascinating voice but nothing of interest to say. It is just another instrument in the Hawkwind arsenal. There is No Space for Us will offer more of the same tonal choices as the last album but with some vast improvements, most of which makes the album a passive treat rather than an active chore. Their space-based tales begin to tire by Changes (Burning Suns and Frozen Waste) which, given its title, feels a tad ironic in doing anything but change. Major shortcomings in maintaining the tone are made up for with instrumental changes. They do not quite fit into the overarching space narrative, but the title track is a welcome break from it. The Outer Region of Space, too, delivers a song which is tangibly linked to the reaches of the vast unknown, more for the sake of keeping up appearances than any instrumental test the song could offer.  

Rocking ways on Neutron Stars try and maintain an energy, an adrenaline, but it falls flat. Fretwork and swirling instrumental excess for the sake of it. Still, the trouble of stealing work from working artists remains. Where is the line drawn? What additions of artificial intelligence will Hawkwind make, and where, next? It overrides the enjoyable pockets, sparse as they are, of There is No Space for Us. Tonally, it’s an all over the place piece of work where the few highs come early and drift off, strangled by the vastness and nothingness of space. Hawkwind are still around, and there are moments in the music, in the instrumental charm and vocal range from Brock, where we can celebrate this longevity. What it lacks though is a core interest, a comment or association with the space-age it wants to use neither as a tool for escapism or an idyllic future.