J Spaceman's life seems to be a never-ending spiral of hard drugs and failed romances, if his records are to be believed. From his early work with the seminal space-rockers Spacemen 3, to the impressive first two Spiritualized records, to the absolutely incredible Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, to the slightly underwhelming follow-up record Let It Come Down, the themes of religion, women, and substance abuse float around his music like a smokescreen, submerging the impressive musical chops with a thick layer of depression. Amazing Grace is the newest entry in this catalog of reoccuring themes, and while not as striking as Ladies and Gentlemen, it might be the next-best work of his catalog. Although saying "his" at this point seems to be improper, as Spiritualized has a stable line-up currently, going so far as to even put pictures of the band in the liner notes. Still, this remains a Spaceman record, as the songs are all his, and the lyrical subject matter stays directly on course with where it's always been. "She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit)" is the first audible song on the record after the low-volume, low-key rocker "This Little Life of Mine," and it starts out things on the right foot, rocking with a hook that digs deeper than anything since "Come Together," and starts us treading through a series of songs which recall the previous world Spiritualized has occupied, with harmonicas and horns floating through echo-y, reverb drenced guitars and synthisizers. Spaceman seems a little world-weary at this point, as anyone in his particular position would be, I'd imagine. He sings lines like "If you've got dreams in your life, why don't you share them with me / And if your dreams don't come true, I'll make sure that your nightmares are through / If you've got pain in your heart, why don't you share it with me / And we'll just wait and see if it's half of what it used to be" in a fashion that's equally compelling with his delivery and his words, something that not many frontmen can do these days. This kind of optimism and beauty comes out on the second half, when a look towards the new territory Spiritualized is aiming to occupy comes shining through, taking the tried and true formulas Spaceman has created and refining them. In particular, "Lord Let It Rain On Me" and the closer "Lay It Down Slow" are the two of the most incredible songs the man has written in years, possessing the same etheral feel of the song "Oh Baby," a poorly named cut earlier in the record that forces itself up even from the terrible name, with a backing choir and a crescendo that makes your heart skip a beat. "Lord Let It Rain On Me" reuses the choir to its logical extreme, singing the songs title in the chorus and digs at your chest as it does, and features stabbing piano and percussion in the lulls that drive the effect home. "Lay It Down Slow" is the most forlorn Spaceman has ever sounded (it features those fancy lyrics up there), backed up by pianos, reverbed guitars, and violins. Even the quiter moments of the record are gorgeous, lush and fuller than anything else being made today. What's most apparent about this record is how enjoyable it is, which is funny for a Spiritualized record. The depression is apparent, as always, but it's contained; this might be the most listenable record of the year, after the necessary three or four spins required to get into a Spiritualized record, equal parts artistic and hook-laden, which is strange for a Spiritualized record, as one usually manages to overpower the other. While nothing all that new is going on here, Spaceman's refinement of his previous ideas has brought up some startling new directions, and his songcraft and lyrical vices, while working inside those pre-existing formulas, are stronger than they've ever been. Five albums in, Spiritualized still isn't losing speed and remains as vital as ever, and if that doesn't warrant a 9.0, I don't know what does.
