|
The British rock quartet Razorlight have returned with their
latest cut, a self-titled release following their debut CD Up All
Night from 2004. On their current release Razorlight have made
homage to classic rock riffs and melodies with songs that revive the
rock trusses of the '60s in a bowing fashion like Los Lonely Boys,
The Raconteurs, Stars, and The Libertines. Their
producer Chris Thomas (The Pretenders, Roxy Music,
INXS) was the right guy for the task, bringing out the rock
revivalist dialect in the instrument parts and the vocals of lead
singer and guitarist Johnny Borrell.
Joining Borrell are guitarist and backup vocalist Bjorn Agnen,
bass guitarist Carl Dalemo, and drummer Andy Burrows.
Sometimes the music has reflections of The Kinks, sometimes
there is a feeling that Razorlight are channeling The Pretenders or
The Rolling Stones, but there is always a sense that you are
listening to Razorlight and not someone else. The tapping keyboard
trails on "Who Needs Love?" are snazzy while surrounded
by bluesy rock tones. "In The Morning" has contoured hooks
with zing that are easily consumed. The soft rolling melody of "America"
offer dips and lifts which give it an enjoyable momentum.
Like the blues rock syntax of the '60s, Razorlight crafts melodies
with a natural shuttle and inclinations that don't overwhelm the listeners
but simply put them in a cheerful mood. The juggling motions on "Before
I Fall To Pieces" have a combination of acoustic and electric
rock circuitry. "Pop Song 2006" shouts out of pop/rock consumption
with a buoyant rhythm and vocals that play effortlessly along the
intricate fittings and melodic shifts. "Kirby's House" stands
out with its shading of country-tinged blues rock. "Back To The
Start" is a fun number with pleats of calypso beats and the subtle
inflections on "Los Angeles Waltz" have a reclining disposition
that closes the album in a relaxing mode.
Razorlight does not necessarily compose anything new or groundbreaking
on this album. Their ditties are upbeat and fun with a firm base of
rhythmic beats. They achieve reviving classic blues rock signatures
and bringing them into contemporary times. Their current album marks
them as rock revivalists with catchy songs that are universally consumable.
Each instrument part is significant in the mix which catapults Razorlight
to the solidarity status of The Rolling Stones and Duran Duran,
where the public knows every band member's name and the instrument
they play. And like these aforementioned bands, the players of Razorlight
were brought together by fate, an example of those celestial forces
working everything out right.
-Susan Frances
Track Listing:
1. In The Morning
2. Who Needs Love
3. Hold On
4. America
5. Before I Fall To Pieces
6. I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got
7. Pop Song 2006
8. Kirby's House
9. Back To The Start
10. Los Angeles Waltz
Check out
more reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
Razorlight
