The Irrepressibles — Superheroes (7/24/20)

It would have been sometime in 2012, maybe early 2013, when I was introduced to this UK act. I worked at a liquor store, and my boss who was also a DJ, ended up burning me two CDs worth of alternative music she thought I’d be interested in.

It was an amazing gift as it opened my eyes to music I hadn’t explored and played a big role in kicking off my journey into alternative music. But, the most special thing about it was one song in particular, and that was a song called “In This Shirt” by The Irrepressibles.

I’ve found many songs over the years that I’ve considered life-changing in a way, but few, if any, have left a mark on me like “In This Shirt.” Jamie McDermott (Jamie Irrepressible) is at the core of The Irrepressibles. He has a deep singing voice heavy with sadness, and the weight of despair in this song is incredible.

I found solace in it in my early twenties as I struggled with my own mental health. There’s a great comfort to be found in music so tragic. It might not be the healthiest method but when I was depressed and I listened to this song, it felt like the soundtrack to my depression and it allowed me to find the beauty in it. It’s sick in a way, but a song like “In This Shirt” showed me how powerful and almost addicting the feeling of despair can be.

I then went on to find The Irrepressibles’ 2012 album Nude which gave me two more incredibly powerful songs in “Two Men in Love” and especially “Pale Sweet Healing.” Both songs, similarly to “In This Shirt,” hold a special place in my music library and are hard to compare to much else of what I listen to.

It became clear with these songs that homosexuality was a topic in the music. With further research, I found that the name The Irrepressibles is “about breaking boundaries in music and being honest about being gay in music.”

And that’s about it for my history with The Irrepressibles. I’ve held onto those three songs but didn’t connect much with anything else off that album and didn’t care all that much for the 2010 debut either.

This new album is actually the first release since 2012. Jamie has had his hands in other collaborations and whatnot these past several years and it looks like he’s finally decided to revive The Irrepressibles.

It’s entirely different music than when I discovered him. The first two albums were generally baroque pop while this new music is much more synth-based.

It’s much less focused on Jamie’s performance for the most part. Opener “Anxiety” just has him pulsing in and out with breathy words as synths roll along as if they’re trying to create the feeling of anxiety musically. It does have a bit of a chilling vibe which I appreciate but it’s ultimately pretty monotonous.

I don’t even think Jamie’s on the following “International.” It’s got a group of featured names that I’ve never heard of and is basically spoken word over a pretty expansive synth bed. The synths are thick and sweet but it doesn't feel like much of a song at all outside of that.

“The Abandonment of…Ego!” is another one with several unknown features on it and I can barely sit through it. For the most part, I can say that the textured, thick synths are pretty satisfying through the album but there’s very little melodic focus. This song comes off a bit messy to me but it is admirable for its playfulness. It brings in horns towards the end and even includes a pretty gnarly scream from one of the featured vocalists. It’s just way too wonky for my taste.

Then there’s “Dominance” and “Submission.” Jamie’s vocals sound processed on the former as he speaks over crunching synths, “I’ve got some kinky shit/I’d like to try with you.” It’s not a pleasant listen by an means for me.

I am much more drawn into “Submission.” It pulls more from what originally appealed to me with The Irrepressibles with a much more subdued and somber arrangement that gives Jamie the spotlight. It’s almost a bit too vacant as it remains pretty stagnant until the final minute when the synths blossom and bring the song to a very full conclusion. It’s still short of any real emotional intensity though.

Closer “The Most Beautiful Boy” is another one that brings up reminders of the sound I originally fell in love with. Jamie is at his best with little more than piano, strings and atmospheric synths, and that’s pretty much what makes up this song. It won’t have the same lasting affect on me as the older stuff but it’s definitely the closest the album comes to recreating the feelings those songs delivered.

There is one song on here that I believe will have a lasting affect on me, and that’s “Let Go.” I complain about how this album doesn’t sound like my old favourites but this song shows that he can still impress me with this new style.

It’s 100% synth-based and there’s not one thing about the song that reminds me of what originally drew me into The Irrepressibles. It just proves to be a very infectious dance track as it builds in its second half into this disco-like breakdown that is so much fun. It’s a liberating song as well that encourages you to shed yourself of any insecurities when it comes to who you love. Also, one of my favourite music videos of the year.

So, as a whole, the album is far removed from the remarkable orchestral-based sad songs I fell in love with years ago, but I am happy to have found a new keeper with “Let Go.” I’ve always known Jamie Irrespressible for one particular sound and it’s great to see he can still impress me with a totally different direction.