Slipway Fires

Razorlight

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: November 3, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mercury
• ASIN: B001G93Z5Q
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,094 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Sometimes you need to get away from it all, even when your life succeeds beyond your wildest dreams. Just ask Razorlight songwriter, lead singer and guitarist Johnny Borrell, who secreted away on an island off Scotland to write the British band's third CD, the melodic, musically adventurous "Slipway Fires."

"I wanted to process my feelings about a few things because a lot had happened in the last four or five years," Borrell says.

That's a major understatement.

Since Razorlight released its major label debut, "Up All Night," in 2004, the quartet has become one of the biggest bands in the U.K., selling more than three million copies of its first two CDs. The group--comprised of Borrell, guitarist/vocalist Bjorn Agren, bassist Carl Dalemo and drummer Andy Burrows-- has filled British airwaves with such hits as "In the Morning," "Before I Fall to Pieces" and "America." They've headlined the main stage at the Reading Festival and toured with the likes of U2, the Who and the Rolling Stones, standing toe-to-toe with their musical heroes.

At the same time, Borrell simultaneously became a U.K. cover boy and whipping post. Magazines clamored to feature Borrell in their pages since he was always quick with a memorable, sometimes regrettable, but always clever quote until the fame threatened to eclipse the music.

No wonder he needed some time away. Lest anyone think Borrell repaired to a pampered retreat, think again. He lived in a home with no central heating, "so I had to keep lugging coal and chopping wood for about three hours a day to keep the house running," he says. "I knew I was going to read a lot. I didn't really go up to there to write, I just went away. But then, the album started to make itself known."

Plus, he got a nudge when drummer Burrows sent the scorched-earth, slow burner "Stinger" to Borrell. "I was communing with the wind and the grey skies and Andy sent me the song. I thought, that's really a good song, I better start writing some good songs."

Armed with a tasty assortment of tunes, the band entered the studio with producer Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, the Kooks). "We like to try out different producers, try a few days with them and see how it goes," Borrell says. "We thought we'd already found our man, but then Mike came in. He had so much energy. It was the first time we'd worked with someone our own age. We'd always worked with a father figure." Crossey's enthusiasm was infectious. For the first time, the band recorded much of the album live-- "the vocals, live everything, all in one go," Borrell recounts.

"Slipway Fires," the band's first on Mercury in the U.S., broadly displays two very different sides of Razorlight. There's the detached, pointed observer of today's social scene, who trenchantly comments on the ruling upper class (Or "the horse and hound girls, the family line that has been ruined by syphilis and heroin," Borrell sneers) in such delectable power pop rock as the Who-like "Burberry Blue Eyes," the driving, irresistible "Tabloid Lover" and the scathing "North London Trash."

But then the band changes gears with the epic, emotional swells of such songs as the Nick Drake-like "Hostage of Love," the poignant, haunting "The House" and first single, the delicate "Wire to Wire." The song, already a top 5 hit in the U.K., is a modern-day love story of a couple trying to find themselves through the charred ruins of their past. "It's two people with the same scar," Borrell says. "I wasn't really thinking it would be a single or anything and we started getting phone calls from people who were saying that songs a smash."

All the songs on "Slipway Fire" "exist for a reason," says Borrell and are detailed communiqués sent out in the hope of igniting some deeper connection. "With the first album, I felt like I was leaving voice mails for people," he says. "These songs are letters, they're slightly more considered."

Fans will immediately hear the arc of the band's metamorphosis. Borrell describes it best: "When you come out with your first album, you're sort of this hormonal, confused, screaming machine, but you're not entirely sure what you want to be saying," he laughs. "The second one, we wanted to broaden our range a little bit. Me and Andy were trying to prove ourselves as songwriters. There's nothing wrong with that. For this one, I just wanted to do something that could own its own space."

And that space is spreading. With their superstar status in the U.K. secure, Razorlight's popularity continues to build in the United States, and much to Borrell and the band's delight, the story is based on the music, not any tabloid mythology.

"This is where rock `n roll comes from, it's hugely important that we break here," Borrell says. "I like the fact that in America, we're the underdog because it cuts out a lot of the bullshit. I'm not jumping up and down, saying `Here! Look at me!' I'm going `Here's the music.' I'm letting the music do the talking."

And now, Borrell and Co. are ready to let the music do the talking on the road. He can't wait can't wait to play the new songs live on the band's North American tour. "My dream is my manager saying `here's the tour,' and I can see all the dates and they run for two years consecutively. I don't care if it's 10,000 or 1,000 or 100, I'd just go play. I'm making music with people who are great at what they do."

Product Description

After releasing two of the most popular indie albums of the 00s, Razorlight return for their third in the shape of Slipway Fires. Typically dramatic and epic in its expressions, this release is slightly more bombastic than before, and incorporates a rawer, edgier rock dynamic. Recorded after a period of isolation and creative rest, lead singer Johnny Borrell took his band to the Inner Hebrides to fuel the renewed creative process, resulting in this anthemic collection. Features the single 'Wire To Wire'. Mercury. 2008.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Razorlight's Slipway Fires - Well Put Together, But Better For Newbies Than For Fans, July 10, 2009

By	Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)

(What's this?)

Razorlight's third release, Slipway Fires, has a strong traditional rock flavor to the album. I can only guess this was intended to broaden their appeal and make them accessible to those who traditionally don't listen to alternative rock. In fact, most of this album is what I would call just plain old rock until you reach the sixth track, "60 Thompson." There is nothing wrong with that, but Razorlight fans, such as myself, who were looking forward to the raw energy of their other albums may be left scratching their heads with this one. This album has some good songs on it, but it feels more like a collection of songs than a coherent album. Even though it has grown on me, I prefer songs on their other albums to this one. I even prefer the second album, which has been put down a lot. Even though this album has a much higher quality production to it, it feels like something was lost in the process of cleaning them up for this release.

There are a lot of songs on this album that sound like other bands. "You & The Rest" has a Violent Femmes sort of feel to it. The first part of "Tabloid Lover" is reminiscent of early Talking Heads, but the Chorus sounds more like the early Beatles. "Stinger" sounds more like the Moody Blues, and "Burberry Blue Eyes" could have easily been an Elvis Costello cover. "Blood For Wild Blood" sounds like a hybrid between INXS & U2 sung over a church organ. In fact the last track sounds so much like a Billy Joel song I had to check the writing credits. I didn't like all these songs the first time around but a few of them grew on me.

Track 10, "Monster Boots," sounded most like what I expected to hear from Razorlight, and it's probably my favorite track on this album. I also like "60 Thompson" though I did feel like it was almost too short. Even "Hostage of Love" grew on me, and that song proves that not everything on this album is mellow. Even though I enjoy a lot of those classic sounding tracks, only a few of them will make it onto my personal playlists.

I will definitely buy Razorlight's next album, but I hope they get back some of the raw energy they seem to have relinquished with this release. You can use various sites to preview these songs before buying this album, and this might be a case where you will be better served to download the tracks you like instead of buying the whole album. As somebody who usually buys a lot of albums, that's a painful recommendation for me to make about a band I like. I do think that those who like mainstream rock more than alternative may find this album to be a palatable cross-over introduction.

Enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars typical college rock fare, June 4, 2009

By	guitarchick24 (USA) - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

Fans of college or indie rock will probably enjoy Razorlight's latest CD, "Slipway Fires."

The simple, clean production of this album is a definite plus, and highlights the band nicely. I was pleasantly surprised by the jazzy pop feel of the first track, but as the album wore on I could definitely feel the college rock vibe. In some places it felt sort of 70s-ish to me, sort of reminiscent of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler's signature songwriting style. The band is tight (the drummer is terrific!), but toward the end of the album the songs got a little repetitive. Not just in songwriting style, but also in production (was it really necessary to start three songs in a row with vocal only and very light instrumentation?).

Overall, a good album, but not something I'd listen to over and over again. Check this one out from the library or borrow from a friend first, unless you're already a die hard Razorlight fan.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Identity Crisis Bogs Down Slipway Fires, May 29, 2009

By	Philip R. Heath (Hurst, TX United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

Slipway Fires is the third CD from the London based group Razorlight; however, it is a work that shows a band still struggling to find its identity. The songs "Wire To Wire" and "The House" seem like attempts to channelColdplay and ride their coattails of success, but these songs never rights those loft heights. In part this is because Johnny Borrell doesn't have the chops of Chris Martin. Another band whose influence shows up on Slipway Fires is Stray Cats. While it is moresubtle on "You And The Rest", "North London Trash" seems like a second rate attempt patterned after "Stray Cat Strut". Finally, "Tabloid Lover" sounds like it could have come from Keane's latest CD Perfect Symmetry. Borrell hits the same annoying falsetto tones that Tom Chaplin uses. As you can tell, Slipway Fires is a CD that lacks cohesion. That's not to say that there is nothing of merit on the CD. The single "Hostage Of Love" shows promise, and this is not coincidentally a track whereRazorlight doesn't seem to be trying to be someone else. Another track worthy of mention is "Burberry Blue Eyes". Also, "Wire To Wire" and "North London Trash" are not bad songs in of themselves, but they just don't seem to fit very well on the same CD. Razorlight has potential, but they must find their true identity if they are going to be a band that can stand on their own.

Download this: Hostage Of Love