The Rakes - Ten New Messages
Artist profile:
The Rakes
Release Date: 19/03/07
Label: V2
Rating: ***
Ah, those Rakes fellows. Still drinking, vegetable streaming and reading the night away; dancing like maniacs the whole time. Just how we like them.
'The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect' gets two prizes - one for most danceable first track on a second post-Britpop album ever, and it also helps The Rakes steal Panic! At The Disco's 'best song titles' award. Matt Swinnerton's choppy guitar has never sounded so genius, Jamie Hornsmith's bass lines never so complicated, Lasse Petersen's drumbeats never so undefiable and Alan Donohoe... well, his world-famous Alan-dancing is about to take another step up when this one's played live.
Trapped and screaming for air in-between two future classics (the previous track and latest single 'We Danced Together') lies 'Little Superstitions', a really, well, weird track for those Rakes. It builds up nicely and is certainly more than listenable, but fans will be left wondering why Swinnerton wasn't given the duties of vocals after displaying his more-ear-friendly-than-Donohoe vocals in an early b-side. We hate to say it, but The Rakes should've spent more time in the studio getting this one right.
Oh dear. The Rakes have gone all Politik. 'Trouble, however, brings Donohoe's voice back into the spotlight brilliantly. "If it's trouble what you're looking for, trouble's what you'll find." You sure you didn't leave the studio too early, lads? Then comes the experiment – 'Suspicious Eyes'. A nice idea, but a better b-side.
As displayed on their recent tiny tour, Donohoe's not-too-shabby guitar skills come out on 'Down With Moonlight'. His new-favourite-style of mumbled-searching-for-a-way vocals star brilliantly here as you lunge (yes, lunge) along with them, although the word 'grower' shamefully comes to mind. 'When Tom Cruise Cries' will give you a tainted, cheerful smile and album closer 'Leave The City And Come Home' pretty much sums it all up for us – "Same old arguments without the sex".
They just don't have the magic captured so perfectly on 'Capture/Release'. 'Ten New Messages' is a good album, but it stops having the chance to be great when you realise just how more it could have given if the chance had been there. In other words, The Rakes have more or less submitted to the second-album-curse. And that makes them a proper band. Still, how we love them.
Han Quintrell
The Rakes Official Site
The Rakes Myspace
Buy The Rakes CDs | Buy The Rakes mp3s | Buy The Rakes Tickets | Buy The Rakes Merch
Release Date: 19/03/07
Label: V2
Rating: ***
Ah, those Rakes fellows. Still drinking, vegetable streaming and reading the night away; dancing like maniacs the whole time. Just how we like them.
'The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect' gets two prizes - one for most danceable first track on a second post-Britpop album ever, and it also helps The Rakes steal Panic! At The Disco's 'best song titles' award. Matt Swinnerton's choppy guitar has never sounded so genius, Jamie Hornsmith's bass lines never so complicated, Lasse Petersen's drumbeats never so undefiable and Alan Donohoe... well, his world-famous Alan-dancing is about to take another step up when this one's played live.
Trapped and screaming for air in-between two future classics (the previous track and latest single 'We Danced Together') lies 'Little Superstitions', a really, well, weird track for those Rakes. It builds up nicely and is certainly more than listenable, but fans will be left wondering why Swinnerton wasn't given the duties of vocals after displaying his more-ear-friendly-than-Donohoe vocals in an early b-side. We hate to say it, but The Rakes should've spent more time in the studio getting this one right.
Oh dear. The Rakes have gone all Politik. 'Trouble, however, brings Donohoe's voice back into the spotlight brilliantly. "If it's trouble what you're looking for, trouble's what you'll find." You sure you didn't leave the studio too early, lads? Then comes the experiment – 'Suspicious Eyes'. A nice idea, but a better b-side.
As displayed on their recent tiny tour, Donohoe's not-too-shabby guitar skills come out on 'Down With Moonlight'. His new-favourite-style of mumbled-searching-for-a-way vocals star brilliantly here as you lunge (yes, lunge) along with them, although the word 'grower' shamefully comes to mind. 'When Tom Cruise Cries' will give you a tainted, cheerful smile and album closer 'Leave The City And Come Home' pretty much sums it all up for us – "Same old arguments without the sex".
They just don't have the magic captured so perfectly on 'Capture/Release'. 'Ten New Messages' is a good album, but it stops having the chance to be great when you realise just how more it could have given if the chance had been there. In other words, The Rakes have more or less submitted to the second-album-curse. And that makes them a proper band. Still, how we love them.
Han Quintrell
The Rakes Official Site
The Rakes Myspace
Buy The Rakes CDs | Buy The Rakes mp3s | Buy The Rakes Tickets | Buy The Rakes Merch
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