Customer Reviews

Dirty Words

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sure. If you're over 30 you've heard it all before, and even better you might claim. Yet, this album is worth listening to as well as owning. Why? Well, for starters, if you think that the 70-80s rock/punk sound was one of the most intriguing pages of rock history, why not give it a shot, as more modernised, fresher take by a band that seem to have all their elements aligned right?

Departure do carry such assets and this becomes apparent by the the very first spin of the album on your stereo. They've got their charismatic signer who seems to be perfectly at home when he shouts out those alternative vocals of the past. Which in turn is a paradox because those vocals never became the mainstream actually.
Then there's Departure's music. Again, a sizey array of bands will spring spontaneously to mind once you hear the opening riffs and the accompanying drums. But, and that's what important here instead of being turned away, you'll be inclined to listen on. And you wont regret it either.
The band seem to take themselves seriously (yes, i know that can also be a bad thing) and have delivered a formidable album with almost no filler tracks, and which has all kindsa cool atmospheres that emerge the more you get into it.
This alternative 80s idea is looking increasingly better and better. Even if it all seemed dodgy at first.

Why does everyone feel the need to give a brochure like description of The Departure. Oh, they sound like this group, or OOh i hear elements of this or that. Just about every modern band you come across is going to be almost re-hashing a style or arrangement. Everything has been done, so yeah "it sounds similar" to stuff you've heard. Anyway, on to the review.
The album is a fun, energetic, danceable listen. Dirty words is loaded with knifing guitar riffs dueling one another, silk-like thick base lines, catchy beats, and peppered symbols. The lyrics most certainly come across trite and lame. However, the lead singer has a tremendously thick british accent, and a good tone to his voice which in turn makes it a pleasure to hear. Just don't take them too seriously, although as mentioned before, they seem too. Like a lot of brit acts to the american ear, it takes maybe 2 or 3 spins. However, I'm almost certain the music will make you move from the get go.

The Departure is another of the new British bands who are yet to crash upon American shores. In fact this is an import and not released here yet. They have a little techno sound. They have a hard rock sound too. They vocals are really British sounding. In other words, they are probably more like The Fall. In songs like "Only Human" there are heavy guitar riffs. It's a little like The Bravery. The song that most people have heard is "All Mapped Out" which could be a song by The Bravery too. They are maybe like The Bravery if they could play their instruments. "Lump In My Throat" reminds me of Echo and the Bunnymen. In many of their songs, The Departure have good dynamics. They have good surf guitar riffs. It's a cool sound overall. It doesn't really sound like anyone else out there right now. They might be a good band to see live.

Essentially, The Departure sound like a combination of The Chameleons, early U2, & Gang Of Four with more reverb. This album also felt alot like what Franz Ferdinand's first album would have sounded like if all the guitars were put through huge reverb and delay effects. In that respect this is the album Franz Ferdinand wishes they had released in 05', but didn't. Lately, It seemed like every band was favoring disco over atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy me a good danceable groove, but there's a million bands doing that right now. I feel The Departure's strengths lie in their ability to create songs that are equally atmospheric AND angular, therefore danceable but with depth. I have also not heard such complimentary playing between two guitarists probably since Interpol's first album. With that in mind, Its somewhat annoying that this album hardly made a dent in the U.S. given that it was released before fellow UK post-punkers Editors released their album "The Back Room". This was close to being the best release of 2005 for me and wherever any other year-end "best of" lists have Franz Ferdinand's newest album, as I'm sure nearly every publication will have it in the top 10, I will just cut it out and put a picture of The Departure's "Dirty Words".

Records of Reference:
The Chameleons - Script Of The Bridge
U2 - Boy
Gang Of Four - Entertainment!
Au Pairs - Sense & Sensuality

Great CD...for fans of Interpol, Apartment and that style of Brit/Alt rock...it's a no brainer.

Other observers seem excitedly sidetracked by talk of early 80's new wave and post-punk when they're referring to the Departure debut album: 'Dirty Words'. Fair enough.
To me, their inspirations go further back; Cockney Rebel, and more recent; Blur.

Of course, being a lot more receptive and perceptive than most of the hacks that buzz hornet-like around the Amazon review pages, I see things the average Joe wouldn't, and by extension, proffer chillingly accurate assessments and insight that others might miss.
Modestly - a quality yardstick.

'Dirty Words' (naff title, Adam would squirm) is not the calm masterpiece others would have us believe, neither is it a complete disaster; rather it's a rather sluggish tailgater to the likes of the Organ and Editors.
It sounds like Damon Albarn backed by 'October' period U2. Loud, echoing guitars chime in the gloom, dance-worthy rhythm lines and snappy vocals elevate as the songs progress...
It's all present but not quite correct.

There's far too much of this stuff out there at the moment (more than there was originally!), and the well is starting to run dry. The groups touted as influential have only become so during the time lapsed; originally they were mostly disregarded as 'student' or 'long mac'.
Some were incredibly obscure, and the more visible acts like Gang of Four or Bunnymen became embarrassing in a very short time after initial bursts of vital creativity.
So it's pretty obvious groups like the Departure, imbibing indiscriminately, are gonna make the same mistakes and get the same mixed results.

'Dirty Words' isn't awful - 'Only Human' is tidy - but it's naively old before its time ALREADY.
It doesn't have that jump-out-your-seat factor; it sounds too convenient, lax and sickly even. Groups searching for influence and inspiration in the areas the Departure, Kaiser Chiefs, Bravery et al are scratching in, are finding the small space where the good stuff is, depressingly crowded. There's a marked shortage of breathing space, and you can hear it across most of 'Dirty Words'.

Only the Organ successfully plundered, then split after an album.
There is a wisdom to this - but even they came under fire for being derivative, and ludicrously: Blondie copyists.
Even when groups get it right...they get it wrong!

There'll always some-one pulling the rug from under scenes like this because it's so easy to do. It's obvious and so not really worth the bother.

I find this album quite interesting. I used to be a fan of Interpol, but then their songs got old very quickly. I've had this cd for months now and I still listen to songs such as "only human" and "lump in my throat". This cd serves as another interesting 2005 new britpop band. They use a good combination of synth and guitar, and have interesting lyrics. It was worth the import price I paid for it.

Just as in years past, when a certain "sound" comes in, or in this case, back into the mainstream, there are usually dozens of soundalikes and coat-tail hoppers. The Departure, just like Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, The Bloc Party and countless others are a new entry into the trend of bands inspired by their parent's record collections. It seems sometimes as though each new band has a couple of primary influences that they derive their sound from......as of late, it seems that Gang Of Four has been the flame - with the Departure, I hear a bit of GOF but more then anything, I hear Au Pairs. Actually, if someone were to want a simple comparison, I'd have to say that The Departure sounds like Au Pairs with Johnny Lydon singing.... Certainly worth getting....

If you are reading this review buy the cd. Honestly and truely you will like it. But you have to listen to it 3 times and then you wont listen to anything else for awhile. Have fun.