Customer Reviews

Stars of Cctv

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been a very long time since someone recommended an album to me,I bought it and thought, "Wow, that's good!" and played it straight through two or three times. This is such an album from a band who recorded a bunch of their own self written tunes, and then had it picked up for release by a major label.There is much more to them than just front man Richard Archer, though he does have a charisma when you get to see them live. All the tracks have well thought out arrangements with subtle but sparse use of other instruments, some piano here, some brass on both "Unnecessary Trouble" and "Better do better" and some (believe it!) cornet on "Move on now". The songs reflect living in the outer London fringes in Mr. Blair's Britain (Staines, actually) with wry observations about life, relationships and not having much money. To have moved someone who nowadays listens mainly to jazz to install it in his CD changer as a fixture is astounding enough, but to then see them live at a venue near me ( The Eden Project) was enough to convince me to go and see them again this fall. They're in Japan in November, and threaten be in the US early next year. If you get the chance go and see and hear them, but as a start buy this and be in at the start of a word-of-mouth bigness. Oh yeah, and play it loud! Whatever next?

Apart from being major rock stars, John Lennon, Madonna and Bono all had in common the loss of their mother in tragic circumstances at a young age - a factor that each saw as a driving force in their quest for fame. Hard-Fi frontman Richard Archer can also be added to this dubious list of celebrities, with the death of his mum in June having dampened the release of his band's debut album Stars Of CCTV. Nonetheless, family tragedy can do little to stop this fledgling band from taking off, with Stars Of CCTV hosting a number of hot tracks that will no doubt see them branded as the Kasabian of 2005. Falling somewhere between Stereo MC's and Stereophonics, Hard-Fi mix dance beats with rock bravado, almost as if the outfit was looking for a fight while strutting around a dank club. On opener Cash Machine there's a skank addict desperation to the lyrics, with Archer singing of his girlfriend's pregnancy test turning blue, skipping the train fare and running away from his fears with all the melodrama of a week with Pete Doherty. Unnecessary Trouble finds the punchy demeanour of Kasabian being fully realised, while the subdued piano of Move On Now is reminiscent of dispirited Richard Ashcroft after finding out the drugs don't work. While it's an acoustic twist away from frantic beats, the title track finale is perhaps the cleverest and most engaging tune on this preliminary collection, detailing the Big Brother society we now inhabit. His maternal loss may be currently weighing heavily upon his shoulders, but if Archer and his mates can keep it together, Hard-Fi have even better prospects than Bloc Party and The Futureheads.

Stars of CCTV by Hard-Fi is an insanely catchy, extremely good first album. I know in this day and age we anoint the next Beatles on a weekly basis, but there's something about this band (OK, I know a lot of people will say this is sacrilege, especially since Hard-Fi is so derivative). I won't get analytical here... I'll just say, stick it in the cd player and turn up the volume. And, oh yeah, put on your dancing shoes. This is a DANCE BAND. But there's also a grit and gusto there that's real.

Buy it, promote it, love it, live it.

While Mike Skinner has been plying his everyman yarns for a few years now, Hard-Fi have emerged to take their place in the distinctly narrow niche of social reality in pop. It would be unfair to simply label the Staines band The Streets with guitars, but they are another mouthpiece for disenchanted white youth in the context of 21st Century Britain.
Hard-Fi have mass appeal for a couple of reasons; firstly who they are, or have presented themselves to be. The grime scene appeals to kids in London because it speaks from their perspective, on their level. UK hip hop has always had its modest but reliable young b-boy fan base. Hard-Fi, however, have wised-up to the fact that they have lived a fairly typical youth and young-manhood in a satellite town of London, their struggles are those of many, and they only need to sing about their lives to strike a chord with many others who identify.
Secondly, like The Clash before them, they incorporate elements of a multitude of influences, particularly from the world of black music, allied with a keen pop sensibility. Reggae, dub, ska and hip hop are all prominent in the mix, along with the dance scene, devotees of which are aptly mythologised in Living For The Weekend.
The anthemic, drive-time choruses of these songs- about little more than being bored, having no money and (courtesy of biggest hit Hard To Beat) chasing girls- propel the album along. Opener Cash Machine deals with having no money, and builds on this basic lyrical premise to form an accomplished piece of relevant, modern music, encapsulating the album as a whole. It packs a decent chorus, a moody, bass-driven groove and even weaves unwanted pregnancy and an interpolated nursery rhyme into its three-and-a-half minutes.
At eleven songs long, it is a compact debut, not weighed down by filler, and has numerous highlights, including all the aforementioned tracks, the atmospheric Tied Up Too Tight, and the surprisingly-effective, piano-led ballad Move On Now.
Title track Stars of CCTV is an appropriately-rousing strum-along to finish the album. The vocal performance is also the best showcased by singer Richard Archer, as he sways brilliantly between cooing and sneering, in line with the tone of the lyrics.
There is little to pick fault at with this debut, but sadly its also too formulaic, with not quite enough dynamism to make it a classic. However, no tracks are particularly weak, save for perhaps the underwhelming cod-reggae of Better Do Better, which can't be rescued by another big chorus. Where the band will go next is a moot point, but there is enough potential here to suggest that they are cut out for great things. Whatever their next step, they shouldn't have to endure those cash machine blues for much longer.

Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV is an insanely catchy album. I haven't been so into an album in a long time and I listen to a lot of music. It has that magical mix of incredible, unique music and immediately accessible lyrics -- but it also sounds familiar somehow. The music is so energetic and hard to get out of your head. It's one of those albums that every couple of days a new song becomes your favorite. If this is not the biggest album of this coming summer I'll be shocked. It's that good.

Maddeningly addictive dance/alternative rock from the UK. With tales of everyday life set to upbeat, sunny, fun filled catchy tunes, this is one of the best debuts of 2005!

Right from the upbeat opening track `Cash machine' about a bank account in the red and lyrics about dodging train ticket inspectors and a pregnant girlfriend (I love the line `There's a hole in my pocket/my pocket/my pocket'), the rocker `Living for the weekend' with a string filled intro and deliriously catchy chorus (the title says it all really; work hard all week and live for the weekend - most Londoners can relate to that), the sunny ska tinged `Better do better' about the half-hearted end of a relationship, it's a look at Brit culture last heard from The Streets.

Every song stands out really, but I must make special mention of the highly danceable fantastic `Hard to beat' about attraction on the dance floor (my favourite), the tender piano ballad `Move on now' which features delicate horns and percussion filtering in towards the end without competing with the crystal clear vocals of Richard Archer, and the title track with throbbing guitars and eerie sound effects.

A brilliant CD I find myself playing all the time.

I am very picky person when it comes to my music this cd is made of greatness I got it today and have listened to it 3 times already I had to go leave it in my car because I am afraid of over playing it!! Very mellow music. Love the lyrics I will learn the words to all these songs. I am from the US and I will admit I was skeptical but now I am convinced this band is for real! Give them a chance and u will love them to. Today they made a fan for life~Jay

I first heard the Hard-fi single "Hard to Beat" on the local alt rock station somewhere in the territory of 2-3 a.m. I fell in love immediately and called the radio station to ask what it was. Later I heard "Cash Machine," another catchy single, and made the executive decision that even if all the other tracks were awful bits of fluff and filler, it would be worth it for those two songs. I picked up the CD at the bookstore last night, listened to it on the way home, put it on repeat overnight, and it's currently on its third play on my office computer (it's only 10:45 am - I don't plan on listening to anything else today).

I was pleased to find that all eleven tracks on "Stars of CCTV" are solid full-length songs - none of this filler spoken word sampled crap nonsense. Infectious grooves, hand claps and anthemic shouted choruses are found everywhere. Vaguely Any of the songs could be the next single - not the case with most albums. My personal favorites are "Hard to Beat," "Middle Eastern Holiday," "Tied Up Too Tight," and "Gotta Reason," but they're ALL good. Worth your while. I personally think they're better than the Arctic Monkeys.

11 excellant tracks is what you get from a great debut album. Hard Fi are wonderful. The lead track Cash Machine, Tied Up Too Tight, Hard To Beat, and Better Do Better are top of the charts singles. Richard Archer's composer skills are not limited to these four songs. Hard Fi are a new band that has alot of promise with a vein that be traced back to such greats as The Jam, The Clash, and The Specials. Unnecessary Trouble track shows a great blend of these groups. This album will be a classic no matter how long the life of Hard Fi will be. A must buy. Hoping for alot more great music coming out of this band from the suburbs of London. Hard Fi are off to a very good start. Please get this one now.

I found Hard-Fi's debut CD by accident, while surfing the net for some new tunes, so I had no preconceptions when I listened to it. What a pleasant surprise! This new group's musical talent and promise are unmistakable. Although this is definitely New Century music and no 1980s rehash, there are aspects of this CD that are reminiscent of The Police and The Clash. Hard-Fi has a similar positive energy that both those legendary groups had. It also doesn't hurt that each song has flavors of ska or reggae, danceable beats, undulating rhythms, interesting lyrics, and pleasant musical surprises in each track. In "Better Do Better," about a guy refusing to take back his cheating lover, there is a palpable combination of resentment, sadness and resignation that comes through on the vocals. In the slower break-up tune, "Move On Now," haunting horns softly punctuate the vocals. Move on Now, Better Do Better, Cash Machine, Hard To Beat, and Living for the Weekend are among the best tracks, but every song has something entertaining to offer. In this terrific debut, Hard-Fi offers a sound that is melodic, energetic, upbeat, and refreshingly new.