Midlife does strange things to people, not least wondering what’s next, and time to reflect on what’s gone before. At 46, Coheed And Cambria singer and guitarist Claudio Sanchez has created what he refers to as his “midlife crisis record” with The Father Of Make Believe. Better this than a second-hand Porsche or a ‘Death Or Glory’ tattoo.
Although it continues the ongoing saga of the band’s Amory Wars story, and the album ends with a suite of songs set in that universe, this is a starker, slicker, highly polished gem of a record. Lots more of Sanchez himself. The lilting Meri Of Mercy is a paean to his late grandparents. The gambolling and great Searching For Tomorrow, which charts the singer’s creative arc, is a set opener if ever there was one. That and the euphoric Someone Who Can could top and tail any show. The acoustic Corner My Confidence is an open love letter to Sanchez’s wife, and as far from the star-bursting imagery and folklore the band built a part of their legend on as you can imagine. It’s a remarkable evolutionary step forward.
