Reuben - In Nothing We Trust
In the early 00’s, British underground rock music enjoyed a bit of a renaissance, bands the likes of Hundred Reasons, Hell Is For Heroes, Million Dead, they all started to profit from years of hard work and toil to be recognised. Also amongst their number was a Surrey 3 piece that went by the name Reuben. Their swan song was the amazing In Nothing We Trust. This album clearly shows a band evolving and refining their sound to almost perfection. The previous 2 albums, the astounding debut ‘Racecar Is Racecar Backwards’ and their equally excellent sophomore effort ‘Very Fast Very Dangerous’ showed a band changing and growing in confidence into something very special and in their last full length release they delivered a record to be very proud of. In Nothing We Trust rounds up a body of work that could well be some of the most underrated and overlooked in alternative music in the early 21st century. It is an angry, incisive and at times funny and always brutality honest record that wears its damaged heart on its sleeve for all to see, very much like the man who penned it.
Following the release of their second album, 'Very Fast, Very Dangerous', in 2005, Reuben embarked on a year of extensive touring, including a trip over to Europe with billy talent, and still found time to film a double DVD documentary and set up their own record label. The band returned to the studio in December 2006 with cult producer Sean Genocky to record what vocalist / guitarist Jamie Lenman describes as an album that is 'heavier and longer but also poppier and shorter'. The resulting album, 'In Nothing We Trust', is the first release through Reuben’s very own Hideous Records. It shows a darker, more experimental and progressive side to the band, without losing the knack they have for writing instantly memorable hooks. The record is truly eclectic, at times reminiscent of bands as diverse as LCD Soundsystem, Deftones and Nine Inch Nails - not bands you would associate with a Reuben record. from the brooding intro of opener 'Cities On Fire' to the epic and experimental 7 minute 'Suffocation Of The Soul', from the electro beats and driving distorted bass of 'Deadly Lethal Ninja Assassin' to the pop sensibilities of 'Agony Agatha', from the beautiful acoustic 'Good Luck' to the punky call out of 'Ambulance', this is Reuben’s most accomplished album to date - a real coming of age for one of Britain’s best rock acts.
Often cited by fans of the band as a true lost classic, it is currently only available digitally. Reuben front-man and now solo star in his own right, Jamie Lenman explains a bit more about the album: "It's my favourite of the records we did as a band, and I think it's also objectively the best. It was difficult and painful to write and to record but I think the result is something that has a real emotional depth. I have a feeling that perhaps we knew somehow that it was going to be the last one, and we put everything we had into it. Sean (Genockey) was the perfect producer for us - he and his engineer Jack really understood the band, our sense of humour and the sound we were looking for. I'm thrilled that people still care enough to still be listening to it, particularly as it's been unavailable for so long. It's probably my proudest moment."
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