Hawkwind – There is No Space For Us (Cherry Red) – Well the whole album has just landed, we all had a taste in the shape of an eight minute track called Co-Pilot that maybe in isolation seemed just a little tiny bit lost out there in the stars but now here we are two minutes in to the whole album and so far yes! That is a damn good start. Hawkwind did seem, or maybe feel, lost for a while back there, some of us kind of half got off the ride and quietly left the ship before the glorious glow dulled just a little too much, but hey, in recent times, over the coarse of the last couple of studio albums and now this one, Brock and his gang have been on fine form. Of course it can’t be as cutting edge as those urban guerillas were in their West London Seventies and if you expecting albums like those they made in their first rather brilliant ten years of existence then you’re being extremely unreasonable, those albums came from a different time and place, no one could make albums like those albums now. Dave Brock is in his eighties for heaven’s sake and pretty much all of the other main characters from back there have long since left us, but those who talk of this being a new golden age are maybe not too far wrong?

This is a worldly wise Baron Brock, he’s reflective now, he sounds like he’s still looking forward, still challenging, but this is an artist in a different phase of life and there’s something rather heart-warmingly beautiful, rather hopeful in what this version of Hawkwind are doing now (even if the earth is doomed in terms of us and there is no space now). And yes I am writing this whilst listening for the first time, well re-reading what I said as I listen for a third time now and this is an immediate reaction rather than an in-depth review. Here I am on the afternoon of the Spring Equinox basking in the sun and the warmth coming in through the studio window (maybe jsut a little too much warmth, this earth is a little messed up), and now the mellow acousticness of co-pilot coming in as third track after quite a substantial opening couple of shots makes perfect sense (it probably wasn’t the wisest of tracks too let loose as an isolated first taste). This is sounding good and yes, love will flourish whatever they say and they are indeed travellers of time and space….

Probably too early to really say it, but I’m going to say it anyway, this is easily as fine as the last two and just maybe even better, the band feel comfortable now, a growing confidence, a belief in themselves when they have so so much to live up to and right now the spaceship is really motoring, we’re eight minutes into fourth track Changes and this piece is serious trademark Hawkwind space rock goodness, and no, not a rehash, not flying on former glories. And that acoustic opening to the title track that follows in is an inspired changed of gear, the right turn, the right stuff and no human stains or anything going to rust (or dust) here. 

We’re off for another eight minutes in The Outer Regions of The Universe now, we’re could be far away in outer space with a lighthouse guiding star, a place where times almost stands still, or was that a moment in the past? A time when there was almost destruction – that’s a beautifully mellow bit of flowing space flying, never on autopilot yet feeling rather at ease as the keyboards build, there’s some beautiful playing here, some fine free flowing composition and interaction. But there are warnings and metal will turn to rust and rain will wash away the human stains on this earth, it will all start again with out us, there is no space for us now…

This feels like more of a whole than the last two albums, this time they’re not off on slightly strange left-field tangents, they’ve pull that all into the body of the authentic Hawk sound this time, dare I say they’re not taking so many liberties with the idea of Hawkwind this time and yet, they are sounding positively forward thinking, they’re sounding lean. Yes, they are experimenting, they are challenging both themselves and us the demanding listeners, us often (over) critical followers.

Oh that’s a nice big Hawk riff! That’s going to light up the darkest of nights, that one bites, that’s almost the late 70s punk edge of Hawkwind, a slightly more urgent five minutes of Neutron Star to light our way, that could almost be something from when Calvert was to the fore and bombs were (allegedly) being made in cellars – of course it can’t be, these are diffrent times and the Hall of The Mountain cafe has long since been gentrified, it is in there though, that thing, on this one track, Neutron Star, that edge from back there.  

The flight closes with a reflective piece – and no, as much as I think once again it is a little too throwaway, a bit of a half-hearted after thought, I’m not going to moan about the artwork – we’re into the final track, a very mellow piece called A Long Way From Home that is maybe just a little too nice and mellow until you get to the simplicity of Dave Brock’s final words and then…        

And back we go for another ride, oh that start is so damn good, there was a moment in the past where I did almost give up on Hawkwind, where our perception maybe might have been flawed. But that bit there almost two minutes in when the drums kick in like a magnu horse with golden mane and then the humans came and yes There Is Still Danger There, this band can still more than kick it and now this second time around we’re starting to hear the colour of the details and Space Continues (Lifeforms) is both classic Hawkwind and at the same time something new and different without ever betraying anything.

There’s some great keyboards, there’s definitely a confidence in terms of this line up now, a feeling that the coats of the current crew fit comfortably, where maybe before that weighed as little bit heavy, this is properly Hawkwind (do not panic) and now on third listen, yes this is the best of the recent albums. oh yes, from those brilliant opening minutes to the very last words (are they referencing Valium Ten at the start there for a brief moment?). Oh yes, from those brilliant opening minutes to the very last words, this is a good one.

Thank you Mr Brock and flight crew, I must admit I’m feeling a little emotional about it now (we did first launch Organ at a Hawkwind gig almost 39 years ago now, we have shared a lot of history, we’ve seen a lot of people come and go, Hawkfriends and such). The bottom line here is Hawkwind have delivered another very very fine album and I for one don’t thing we have any right to expect any more than this some twenty five years into a new century no one really expect them to see, on it goes, excellent… (sw)    

There Is No Space For Us is presented by Dave Brock, Richard Chadwick, Magnus Martin, Doug MacKinnon and Tim “Thighpaulsandra” Lewis on both CD and double vinyl (the vinyl features a bonus two recent live rehearsals) and​will be released to coincide with live shows in the spring and summer (dates further down).

The album is released on April 18th, 2025

Cherry Red / Bandcamp / www.hawkwind.com

Previous Hawkind coverage on these pages

ORGAN THING: The new Hawkwind triple album Live At The Royal Albert Hall just landed, do we need another Hawkwind live album? Here’s our take on it…

ORGAN THING: A whole load of Hawkwind family and a new Hawkestrel album featuring Nik Turner, Robert Calvert, Simon House and more…

ORGAN THING: A first listen to what is another strong Hawkwind album, Stories From Time And Space reviewed…

ORGAN THING: A very limited edition Barney Bubbles print release, the classic artwork from Hawkwind’s In Search of Space…

ORGAN THING: A first listen to Hawkwind’s new album, The Future Never Waits, is it any good? Is it the right stuff? Well actually…

ORGAN THING: A collection of Robert Calvert remixes? A new album, the Hawkwind legend’s work revisited in just the right way, the right stuff indeed, The Last Star Fighter flies again…

oh there’s loads more Hawkind coverage on these pages

Live Dates:
Thursday 17th April – Gateshead Glasshouse
Friday 18th April – Guildford G Live
Saturday 19th April – Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre
Sunday 20th April – Birmingham Symphony Hall
Friday 9th May – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Saturday 10th May – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Sunday 11th May – Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Friday 23rd May – Sheffield City Hall
Saturday 24th May – Portsmouth Guildhall
Sunday 25th May – Cambridge Corn Exchange
Monday 26th May – London Barbican
Sunday 17th August – New Day Festival

www.hawkwind.com