Sophomore Selections

It seems that a number bands that delivered brilliant and highly successful debut albums are all releasing their follow up albums around the same time. It really is a test of greatness to see if a band can continually produce quality music and the second album is always the biggest test. Now I’m sure that a number of you, having heard these bands’ previous efforts, will be interested in how their latest albums turned out. While normally I only review albums that have stood the test of time and I’ve come to love, I’ll be making an exception for this worthy cause. This may mean you will see something never seen here before, a negative review! But don’t worry; I’ve been listening to these records non-stop for the last few days so my analysis should be accurate. The bands that I’m talking about and whom I shall be reviewing are: The Killers, The Rapture, Jet and Scissor Sisters. There could very well be more but these are the four that stand out to me (though as I write this, Razorlight comes to mind, will it be any good?). The reviews will appear below this intro in the usually slow interval of one every three days (sorry but I also have a life to attend to), hope you enjoy.

Razorlight - Razorlight

I was surprised to find, despite anticipating this album, that it had been released a few months ago. Clearly it made a big impact. But I’ve got it now and I must say it’s a pretty intriguing record. In terms of sound, it’s largely the same as before. It still features the same standard guitar sound and a mix of upbeat and slower songs. But what is most important, to this record and to their sound in general, is that Johnny Borrell’s vocals, which personally I enjoy, are still central. Though this could just be due to my limited experiences, he sounds really unique to me and I always find their music fresh and interesting. And when I say central, I mean it, if his vocals annoy you, this album is not for you. Because ultimately Razorlight = Johnny Borrel. This also applies offstage, and it just so happens that he is one of the most obnoxious rock stars Britain has ever produced (that’s saying something). Between putting down every rival band to claiming to his own band to be the “best ever”, you could say he’s little outspoken. It’s up to you whether to brush such antics off or hold his music responsible. But what is clear with the second album is it definitely gives the impression that the band has matured. While the first was an ambitious hit-and-miss collection of rock anthems, this is a more restrained effort, as if they’re trying to justify themselves as respectable musicians. This works both for and against them. In cleaning up their act, Razorlight have removed the extremities from their music. While this means you won’t find any of the duds or excessive dragging on that plagued their debut, it also means it lacks the hits required to make it a truly great album. It will be loved by some, hated by more and forgotten by most.

America – This song often sounds rather awkward and yet I’m continually drawn to it. I think it highlights how their songs don’t have to be perfect to be enjoyable.

Fall To Pieces – And now for an upbeat number….this song is similar to some of their earlier work, the catchy, fast-paced pop music, though it fails to reach the same level

Previously - Stumble & Fall – This song was far and away my favourite off Up All Night and is even up amongst my favourite modern songs. It features great vocals and its intensity makes it quite exciting.

Jet - Shine On

I can’t believe I’m saying this but the new Jet album isn’t that bad. It’s a shame that I find this surprising because I used to be quite a big fan of Jet. Their performance at Big Day Out 2004 was a favourite and even today it’s hard to deny that their first album was pretty impressive. But like so many others, I turned against them due to either the direction they took or the nature of their newfound fans. I expected and almost hoped that their second record would be a failure. I put down the 4-year gap between albums as a sign of incompetency, that they were struggling to repeat the process of writing good material. Well the album has finally arrived and I can happily admit that I was (to an extent) wrong. Shine On definitely isn’t as good as Get Born. It doesn’t have the massive tracks that will shoot it to the top. But it is full of quality music and more importantly variety. They haven’t just re-hashed the one riff that worked three times on their first album; this is fresh new music. If you liked their first album you will most likely enjoy this. For while their sound may have matured slightly, their overall style remains largely unchanged. You will still find the powerful, upbeat rock songs and the characteristic stripped back ballads that made them famous. This isn’t the brilliant album that many hoped for, but at least it isn’t the dud that many more expected.

Rip It Up – This song is an energetic little piece that’s a great example of their fresh new sound. I really enjoy the chorus, which is why I just couldn’t go past it here

Bring it On Back – This song carries all the hallmarks of a slower Jet song. It occasionally feels like it’s going to get big but then at the last minute pulls back. The guitars are also restrained allowing you to focus on Nic’s great vocals.

Previously – Rollover D.J. – The music to this song may sound suspiciously close to a number of others on the album but that doesn’t stop it from being catchy and great to dance to. I also enjoy this song for its simple but suggestive lyrics.

Now that you’ve read an amateur review, click here for the professional opinion.

Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah

I should probably let you know that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Scissor Sisters’ self-titled debut effort. That’s not to say I didn’t like it. It contained a number of highly entertaining songs which I’d enjoy if they ever came on, yet I was never compelled to listen much to the album. I guess I saw it as more of a novelty (with a flamboyant homosexual on lead (high pitched) vocals, can you blame me?). Well with their second album they’ve produced largely the same effect. There’s no doubt that it’s an entertaining album and a lot of fun. It contains all the high-pitched silliness and funky electronic beats that made their first album so dance-worthy. The piano seems to play a greater role here, probably due to the influence of Elton John who actually features on a couple of tracks. But again, I doubt I’ll be putting it on in a couple of months when the novelty wears off. I do however get the feeling that this is more due to personal preference than the quality of the album. How you yourself receive the albums really depends on how you felt about their debut. It contains all the elements that made the first such a success, so if you loved that, I dare say you’ll love this too. If, on the other hand you despised it, you should keep well clear of this because there’s little here to bring about a change of heart. Overall it’s an impressive follow-up effort, guaranteed to keep their fans happy and make their live performances even more exciting.

Kiss You Off – This song follows the circus-worthy “Intermission” and catches my attention every time it comes on. It’s definitely at the rockier end of their sound but doesn’t stray too far from their regular formula.

Might Tell You Tonight – Here’s an example of one of the slower songs. For the most part I find it fairly ordinary, but when it gets to the chorus it actually becomes quite soothing. Rather impressive for a band I rarely take seriously.

Previously - Tits On The Radio – I choose this because it was the song that first made me aware of them. In typical Scissor Sisters style, it’s got a great high-pitched chorus, which come to think of it, probably isn’t matched on Ta-Dah.

The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love

When I think back to The Rapture’s first album, I think weird. Sure there were the dancy tracks, but they felt more like fillers, while the obscure, indie-rock songs led the way. Well on their latest album the dance tracks rule supreme and while it’s a fairly significant shift, I actually don’t mind it. The clear and constant mood throughout this album is quite simply, fun. I think the film clip to the lead single “Get Myself Into It” summed this up perfectly. Synchronised dancing on roller-skates is by far the most appropriate way to listen to this album. In fact it’s pretty much guaranteed to get you moving, even if you’re sitting down, you’ll be flailing your elbows around in no time. Sticking to the idea of fun, I think this album very closely follows the pattern of a party. It opens with unrestricted energy, with this hyperactive state continuing for quite a few tracks. But then towards the end the tempo starts to drop, perhaps out of exhaustion and it settles into a slower rhythm, fully aware that the end is near. Then comes the final track, the mellowest of all, signalling to everyone that it’s all over and time to go home. These later songs are still good in they’re own right, they just don’t posses the upbeat bounciness that may draw many to the album. Many of you may be disappointed at their move towards a safer, more mainstream sound, but if you loved the first album for it’s dance tracks or you’re simply looking for something to move to, you will more than likely enjoy this album.

Don Gon Do It – This is such a perfect opening to track to get you in the right mood. It’s great to dance to and doesn’t get repetitive like so many other dance songs.

Down For So Long – There’s easily better songs than this but since these reviews are designed to be informative rather than the usual persuasive, I thought I’d offer you a later track so you could get a feel for the whole album

Previously – Sister Saviour – This is an example of how their dance elements used to be a lot subtler, infused with a rocky, abstract sound. I really liked this old sound but at the same time enjoy the new stuff so I guess fans of Echoes could go either way

The Killers - Sam's Town

The sound of The Killers’ new album holds all their familiar traits, but at the same time represents a move in a new direction. The guitars and keyboards still dominate and the vocals remain unchanged, yet this album sounds significantly different. I think the main difference lies in the tempo. They either seem rushed or stuck in two minds over what pace their aiming for. The result is an album that overwhelmingly feels off. Another thing that is immediately noticeable with this record is the divide between the first and second halves. The first half contains a number of upbeat, catchy songs, the ones you’ve likely heard on the radio already, while the second half is largely unimpressive. In fact for my first few listens I really couldn’t stand these later songs. However I must say that the more I listened to the album, the better (less bad) they got. I think what this familiarisation has shown is that they are not horrible songs, just ordinary. But the area in which they fail most is the slower songs. Listening back to their first album, you’ll find that the slower songs are well-crafted and quite moving, perhaps even the strong points of the album. Sadly the same cannot be said for this record. Where in the first you got simple melodies and great vocals, here they try too hard and you just get excessive instrumentation. Sure it contains a number of enjoyable and memorable songs, but as a complete package, Sam’s Town is a clear step backwards.

Sam’s Town – Originally I didn’t like this song mainly because of the bridge towards the end. But it’s pure energy won me over in the end. It’s quite an impressive opening and title track

Read My Mind – I thought I should pick a slower song for you to sample. This is probably as good as they get and as you may notice it’s not that great. At least here the sound is reasonably stripped back, as it should be in a slow song.

Previously – Smile Like You Mean It – This song was always a favourite off the first album. You only need to take a look at this and other songs of Hot Fuss to see where they went wrong. Simple and seductive does it every time.