Customer Reviews

See This Through and Leave

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

 

 

This is wonderful display of TCTC's ability to genre-bend. They're a band who you can't exactly pin down. STTAL is a bit harder and rougher that their sophomore effort, but just as good. "Panzer Attack" and "Been Training Dogs" are fast and hard while "The Lake" and "Murder Song" and more gentle, somewhat morose lullabies. 555-4823 is an experimental electronic track that not all might appreciate. If your starting out with TCTC this is a good place to begin before moving on. Definitely worth paying for.

When I first heard this CD, I really wasn't too sure if I liked it or not. After a few listens, I know I definitely do. Their style is somewhere between metal and soft rock - it's an original mix, and they also seem to have some cool techno influences in there. Best songs include "Film Maker", "The Devil Walks In The Sand" and "Let's Kill Music"

Sometimes debut albums come from nowhere and are so self- contained, so perfectly referenced, that they're instantly accessible. I'm thinking, for example, of The Strokes or The Stone Roses.
Then there is that other sort of debut album. The disorientating one. The ones that are great too but initially do leave you lost, if slightly in awe. Think Public Enemy. Or Jeff Buckley.
The Cooper Temple Clause debut belongs defiantly to the latter category and is initially perplexing as you try to get a handle on it. So then you forget about trying to lazily find comparable songs or bands and just let the music wash over you.
The opener, ' Did You Miss Me ?', builds from dreamy soundscapes to the thrash-out ending which sets the tone for much of what follows.
This is post - Doves, post - Radiohead, post - EVERYTHING...
At times anthemic, at times blissed out and mellow, at times flailing and screaming; this is music you simply can't put a handle on.
' Film Maker ' is all angular, anxious guitar and finally a scream into the night which leads into the bass-driven melodic...attack of ' Panzer Attack '.
My personal favourites are ' Digital Observations ' and ' Let's Kill Music ' which demands that you " mean a single word you say...".
And then ' Been Training Dogs ' reverts to the thrashy menace after the comedown chill of ' 555 - 4823 '.
As usual, I've rambled on a bit when really I could just have nicked the enthusiasm of one of my friends when he stated :
" This is the future of music ! "
Well, okay. But The Cooper Temple Clause really is a rubbish name for a band, isn't it...

I admit I had never heard of TCTC, but by chance I saw these guys open for (and blow away) Jane's Addiction in London last Fall. I bought their new album "Kick Up the Fire" album on the spot, and it turned out to be my favorite album of 2003 (it's finally now also released in the US). So how about TCTC's debut album from 2002? Not bad, not bad at all.

"See This Through and Leave" (11 tracks, 55 min.) is jam-packed. It starts off with the electronic-flavored space-rocking "Did You Miss Me"? (think Hawkwind updated for the 21st century), but from there goes straight into "Film-Maker", one of the 5 singles from the album, a hard rocker, followed by the even harder charging "Panzer Attack" and "Who Needs Enemies" (both also a single). "Let's Kill Music" is the TCTC 2001 single that put the band on the UK music map. "555-4823" is great electronic noodling, along the same lines of Radiohead's "Kid A". "Been Training Dogs" is another single.

This limited edition comes with a second CD, containing 5 songs (23 min.), including several excellent B-sides (stand-out is "Devil Walks in the Sand") and live versions of "Panzer Attack" and "Let's Kill Music". In addition it also has the videos for the "Let's Kill Music", "Film-Maker" and "Been Training Dogs" singles, just great.

So I rate this album "only" 4 stars simply because, while great, it is not as good as the "Kick Up the Fire" album. Did I meantion that was my favorite album of 2003? If you like indy, adventurous, quality music, by all means check out TCTC!

See This Through and Leave is one of the best albums produced in 2002 because of its eclectic arrangement of songs. The album starts out with a creepy opener which crescendos into a chaotic blend of distorted guitar and keyboard. The listener expects this to be indicative of the other 10 tracks, but it is wholly different. I would recommend this album for anyone who is into any genre of rock. This is truly a great album, hence why it received 5 stars on allmusic.com.

The Cooper Temple Clause were pretty much unheard of until early 2002 and their fantastic debut "See This Through And Leave" rubber stamped them as the future of rock music.

Their sound is unique, mixing thrashed out rock tracks with electronic beats and even the odd stadium anthem thrown in for good measure. Its a fantastic concoction, the opener "Did you Miss Me?" starting things off slowly before a cruscendo ending leading to the rockier "Film-Maker" and "Panzer Attack". Both of these tracks really set the tone of the album and will have you jumping up and down with their damn right catchy punk-esque sound

"Who Needs Enemies?" has perhaps the coolest sounding vibe on the album mixing brass and rock to full effect, with a soaring chorus, this really is pure pleasure with a thumping finish. "Amber" is a real crowd pleaser with its mellow intro, singalong lyrics before building up to a great finale. "Digital Observations" is a dreamy tune with many different sounds, its very original and very chilled.

"Lets Kill Music" is the catchiest rock song present, with a big nod in the direction of Oasis' Liam Gallagher, this song will have you screaming and shouting its anthemic chorus. "Been Training Dogs" is another punk laden thrash out, leading to the albums highlight and standout track, "The Lake". One of the most uplifting tracks on any album, its chorus soars above anything released in 2002 and has to be heard to be believed, and so does the whole album. The Coopers sound like nothing else and thats what makes this essential. If you love a mixed bag of rock, you'll love this, buy it now or you will regret it!

This is the sort of album which reaches out, grabs your ears, slams up to the speakers, and then nails them there! Blending Metal, Rock, Techno, and Electronica, The Coopers are one of the hottest bands around

I admit I had never heard of TCTC, but by chance I saw these guys open for (and blow away) Jane's Addiction in London last Fall. I bought their new album "Kick Up the Fire" album on the spot, and it turned out to be my favorite album of 2003 (it's finally now also released in the US). So how about TCTC's debut album from 2002? Not bad, not bad at all.

"See This Through and Leave" (11 tracks, 55 min.) is jam-packed. It starts off with the electronic-flavored space-rocking "Did You Miss Me"? (think Hawkwind updated for the 21st century), but from there goes straight into "Film-Maker", one of the 5 singles from the album, a hard rocker, followed by the even harder charging "Panzer Attack" and "Who Needs Enemies" (both also a single). "Let's Kill Music" is the TCTC 2001 single that put the band on the UK music map. "555-4823" is great electronic noodling, along the same lines of Radiohead's "Kid A". "Murder Song" is the epic 9 min. blow-out closing track.

So I rate this album "only" 4 stars simply because, while great, it is not as good as the "Kick Up the Fire" album. Did I mention that was my favorite album of 2003? If you like indy, adventurous, quality music, by all means check out TCTC

I haven't heard the entire album since its an import, but I have heard five of the songs from this album: Film Maker, Been Training Dogs, Lets Kill Music, Who Needs Enemies, and Panzer Attack. All of these songs are amazing and distinct from one another. From what I've heard, the rest of the album is just as great, especially Murder Song. I'll write a real review as soon as I get my hands on this CD, but if its anything like those five songs it'll blow you away.