Customer Reviews

Razorlight

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

 

 

I have never been one to label an album a classic unless I felt every song could stand on its own as a quality song. I've probably listened to this cd about thirty times already and I must say, it is pristine top to bottom. Every song on this cd is amazing! No, it may not be as raw or risky as their first cd Up All Night, but the music is as good if not better. The replay value of this album is unlimited. I highly recommend this cd! This is how rock n' roll is supposed to be.

Razorlight pulls off a nifty trick here. Their eponymous CD is heavily and near heavenly saturated by 80's bands. The catchy and confident hooks will remind some of us older skinny-tie geeks of Squeeze, Crowded House and - when the band rocks a little - INXS. But songs like "In The Morning" and "America" are confident pieces of popcraft that sink their hooks in firmly after repeated listening.

Problem is, while it makes for some catchy listening, it is also derivative. "Hold On" sounds so much like a Squeeze song that I was wondering if Difford and Tilbrook had written it. Getting compared to great songwriters is not necessarily a bad thing, but Razorlight The Band doesn't exude much by way of personality here.

The exceptions are "America," which is the best thing on the CD, the nearly folkish "Kirby's House" and the dramatic "Los Angeles Waltz," which closes the album on a very strong note (and namechecks Kings of Leon!). More songs like these would move Razorlight into the realms of great songcraft. But for now, the pleasing popcraft of "Razorlight" follows the likes of Dirty Pretty Things and Muse for strong new British bands.

Q magazine selected this as the 3rd best album of 2006! 3rd! what's going on there? this is a good album, a catchy selection of songs at the crossroads of power pop and rock and roll, but no way is this a great album! 3rd best of the year! who is doing what to whom over at that publication? i don't mean to rip this thing, like i said: it's a good enough album, just way over-rated in some circles.

Razorlight's eponymous sophomore disc, pared down to 10 tracks, is much stronger than their debut `Up all night' which itself was a great CD. Very catchy rock/pop, with lead singer Johnny Borrell's vocals pushed to the fore.

Opening with upbeat rocker `In the morning' a UK top 10 hit, you know you're in for a treat. `Who needs love' is a nice retro pop song. Sunny upbeat `Hold on' has a Motown feel.

My favourite track is their current UK #1 single, the mellow `America'. Very catchy `O-O-oh, trouble in America' chorus.

Jangly, almost folk guitars drive `Before I fall to pieces'. `I can't stop this feeling I've got' with its tempo changes is a lovely song. The pulsing `Pop song 2006' is another brilliant rocker.

`Kirby's house' was featured on the charity compilation `War Child: Help - A day in the life' (another great CD I highly recommend).

Closing out are (slightly ska influenced) `Back to the start' and taking the tempo down a bit, the mini epic `Los Angeles Waltz'.

With a collection of songs this strong, it should be tough picking favourites or singles. Brilliant!!

Heard this band on internet radio, only one song. I purchased their entire cd hoping I would like other songs and I pleasantly suprised. I love all the songs. Great cd.

Razorlight's previous album was great, with raw guitars and strong songs. With their second album, they played it safe--too safe. Every song sounds like they are trying to become the next U2 (that's not a compliment). Every song is bland, right-down-the-middle, safe, non-threatening, ready for radio play. Very disappointing when you compare this album to their debut.

Three stars because it's listenable, just not memorable.

I love Razorlight and this CD proves the reason for their success - totally pumping stuff! More, more!

Yet another dull album from Razorlight. No progression, no development of their sound (whatever that is!). The same old thing again, rehashed to death... Don't buy this! Big Mistake.

Muse's latest offering is by far the better option.

Two years ago, when Razorlight's critically acclaimed debut album Up All Night hit music stores across the UK and Europe, the band seemed poised for almost inevitable international success. The album rose to No. 3 on the official UK chart, and the band had the opportunity to play in front of Buckingham Palace, before a TV audience of millions at the Olympic Torch Parade in London, and at the Glastonbury festival. Now nearly six months after their self-titled release, with their relentless self-marketing, they haven't quite stormed across the Atlantic yet.

The album starts off quite nicely with "In the Morning," a rocker that seems cut straight out of 1979, with its crystalline hooks and thundering drums. The sprawling riffs and angsty lyrics of "Los Angeles Waltz," and the hopping bass lines of "Pop Song 2006" will end up ensnaring some listeners. Frontman Johnny Borrell's vocals seem heavily influenced by Bob Dylan -- he often doesn't nail the right key -- but there's enough swagger in his voice to carry the band through in a way that some might like.

The lyrics are frustratingly shallow at times, and at others it just feels like Borrell was just plain lazy--roughly half of the lyrics on "Kirby's House" are repeated from "In the Morning." On "America," Borrell doesn't seem to know exactly what he wants to sing about--nostalgia, insomnia, or the meaninglessness of pop culture:

Yesterday was easy
Happiness came and went
I got the movie script but I don't know what it meant
I light a cigarette because I can't get no sleep
There's nothin' on the TV, nothin' on the radio
That means that much to me

Razorlight never tries to be too original, but they offer a fun album to play "Name That Influence" with as they're easier to spot than that coffee you just spilt on your shirt, whether it's The Talking Heads, Bob Dylan, or The Rolling Stones. There's little here to attract younger fans in the way of offering something even relatively new. However, fans of Jet or The Elms might find this self-titled release of throwback rock at least marginally

...the fact that some people call this indie is enough to generate projectile vomitting...what you have here is another band to soil the name of England...with this! Pfft...what to say besides...

...if you're even aware of this bands existence then you have failed to keep your ears pure of the metaphorical wax this creates...you've obviously heard the singles "In the morning", or "america" (I'm so sorry that you had to hear such cyanide) you will hear the voice of a man who sounds like he's trying to be Mark E. Smith at times and also trying to sing like a normal person (in a bad way) and then they make a stab at an anthemic chorus with nothing at all...nothing? NOTHING!!!

...what bothers me more is that they blame their lack of success in America on the fact that they don't have a guitarist that plays distorted notes...now liveing in England I can say that the reason they're success in America is bad is because there are so many people in England who claim they know what indie is and because they can strut across the street with this on they will class it as indie (while simultaneously burning the smiths) and people in America have slightly more sense (in that particular part anyway) because they know some english guy rambling on and with basic instrumental accompanyment ISN'T ENTHRALLING MUSIC!!! Now I could go on about how awful this is but I'll just say this...if you buy this...buy the Kaiser Chiefs...because I'm sure they'd go great to together...