The Durutti Column return with Renascent's quiet grace

Everything is obfuscated through differing lenses, different times and tales that are soaked into the sounds. The man, the illnesses and aging, and of course the beautiful arrangements. Above everything the band have steadfastly and surprisingly survived long enough to warrant the tag of comeback for their first album in sixteen years, Renascent.

There’s something quietly radical about Renascent given it arrives oblivious to the times. It’s unbothered by nostalgia or inflated expectations but focuses on memories, real and imagined, perhaps long. long forgotten. This is viewed merely as another chapter in a body of work that has always revelled in its own atmosphere.

That restraint comes out of necessity these days, Reilly’s arthritis he says limits his playing. But the pillars of lifetime bandmates (manager/drummer) Bruce Mitchell and producer/multi-instrumentalist Kier Stewart shore up and work around any perceived limitations.

"Liars" conjures melancholy by pairing luminous synth washes with pastoral guitar figures and free-associative vocals. The dual refrains of “I’m sorry” and “I love you” feel suspended in regret and memories of life passed by. “Scammer” forgoes the guitar almost entirely instead gently releasing its lilting poetry in reverb laden waves.

This feels like an afterparty. A comedown. Maybe even symbolically an ending. The expressive, scratchy finger playing and later Balearic feeling of mid-career albums are now shadowy electronic textures and understated rhythms with conversational intimacy that rewards patience.

Elsewhere, Renascent finds fresh colours without disturbing the balance. "Time Present and Time Past" elegantly explores the album's recurring fascination with memory and renewal, while "Vapour in a Matchbox" exemplifies Reilly's instinct and compositional style, sounding spontaneous yet complete. It is noticeable that there are increased contributions from Mitchell and Stewart filling any gaps and adding textures where Reilly of the past may have played. Caoilfhionn Rose's appearances on the yearning "Agonistes" and the luminous "Sargasso Sea" introduce delicate vocal textures that enrich the album’s vision further.

There are criticisms, Renascent risks becoming so immersed in its own meditative pace that moments blur together. It may even be that the overall consistency is too gentle. Or is that entirely authentic? Ever since the Martin Hannet produced debut album songs were carefully collaged, built up in layers but Reilly still played spontaneously. Here, it does feel like perhaps there was scant guitar material to compose around as fully so other starting points were found as with the orchestrated, brass featuring “For Friends Everywhere”.

That said, rather than resurrecting the past, Renascent clearly demonstrates that Reilly's singular musical language remains when captured to tape and the band itself thrives on creativity sparked from these initial shoots. In that sense, this return is graceful and emotionally resonant in very turbulent times.