Spring Break
Does band British Sea Power 'like rock music?'
Erin Shea
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Entertainment
04/02/08 - British Sea Power attempted to stage a comeback of sorts on its latest release, Do You Like Rock Music? after the disappointing Open Season, but it doesn't always work.
British Sea Power's cerebral indie rock seems to have taken a turn on this album. While influences like Echo, the Bunnymen and Fugazi are still evident, the band seems to be heading into more present-day U2 territory - an unfortunate turn of events.
While Do You Like Rock Music? is a step up from Open Season it still doesn't touch their debut, the nearly perfect The Decline of British Sea Power. Opener, "All In It," for example, keeps the quirks that dominated The Decline, but the repetition in the track falls flat, sounding distant instead of rousing.
The band still tackles history on some tracks - as can be expected - but those songs, like "Canvey Island," are much more literal than they have been on previous albums. Lyrics like "On Canvey Island/1953/Many lives were lost/With the records of a football team" are devoid of the ethereal quality that defined such songs on previous efforts.
The first half of the swaggering "Lights Out For Darker Skies" adds a bit of kick to the album and is less of a "stadium" track, simply relying on its energy rather than on any anthemic choruses or lush instrumentals to make it memorable.
Unfortunately, the second half of the song does just that, which takes the sense of originality out of "Lights Out," which is surrounded by tracks that employ just those techniques
Other songs, like "Waving Flags," succeed in finding a balance between grandiosity and intimacy that seems just out of reach on most of the album.
The distorted, dreamy keyboards and guitar on the song add passion to frontman Scott Wilkinson's vocals and it's these elements that make the euphoric tune about immigration the standout of Do You Like Rock Music?
"No Lucifer" also has a bit of a lulling tone to some of it, which is contrasted with Matthew Wood's forceful drumming and the more energetic guitars, along with the chanting of "Easy!" in the background.
"Atom," another especially good track, can be a bit jarring on the first listen. What starts out as a ballad, quickly becomes a rowdy rocker complete with strong, hyperactive drumming and a sing-a-long chorus.
However good these songs are though, fans will still be left missing the days of old, where lo-fi gems like "Fear of Drowning" and the gorgeous, Joy Division-inspired "Apologies to Insect Life" reigned supreme.
British Sea Power's cerebral indie rock seems to have taken a turn on this album. While influences like Echo, the Bunnymen and Fugazi are still evident, the band seems to be heading into more present-day U2 territory - an unfortunate turn of events.
While Do You Like Rock Music? is a step up from Open Season it still doesn't touch their debut, the nearly perfect The Decline of British Sea Power. Opener, "All In It," for example, keeps the quirks that dominated The Decline, but the repetition in the track falls flat, sounding distant instead of rousing.
The band still tackles history on some tracks - as can be expected - but those songs, like "Canvey Island," are much more literal than they have been on previous albums. Lyrics like "On Canvey Island/1953/Many lives were lost/With the records of a football team" are devoid of the ethereal quality that defined such songs on previous efforts.
The first half of the swaggering "Lights Out For Darker Skies" adds a bit of kick to the album and is less of a "stadium" track, simply relying on its energy rather than on any anthemic choruses or lush instrumentals to make it memorable.
Unfortunately, the second half of the song does just that, which takes the sense of originality out of "Lights Out," which is surrounded by tracks that employ just those techniques
Other songs, like "Waving Flags," succeed in finding a balance between grandiosity and intimacy that seems just out of reach on most of the album.
The distorted, dreamy keyboards and guitar on the song add passion to frontman Scott Wilkinson's vocals and it's these elements that make the euphoric tune about immigration the standout of Do You Like Rock Music?
"No Lucifer" also has a bit of a lulling tone to some of it, which is contrasted with Matthew Wood's forceful drumming and the more energetic guitars, along with the chanting of "Easy!" in the background.
"Atom," another especially good track, can be a bit jarring on the first listen. What starts out as a ballad, quickly becomes a rowdy rocker complete with strong, hyperactive drumming and a sing-a-long chorus.
However good these songs are though, fans will still be left missing the days of old, where lo-fi gems like "Fear of Drowning" and the gorgeous, Joy Division-inspired "Apologies to Insect Life" reigned supreme.
