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| Tuesday, March 13, 2007 |
| Disappear here...... |
 So, I was going to blog about this album a few days ago, and then Wes beat me to it. Despite an overwhelming sense to shout 'what's the point' and embark on some crazy spree of mindless vandalism, I have decided to blog on it anyway. That's just the kind of guy I am. So anyway, I guess I had better share my thoughts on this album with my fellow leaves.......
Now, I know that some of you will be shocked that I have an album by a band that doesn't have it's origins in the early nineties, but I like to surprise people every now and then (and the odd badger, but that's another story.....). I picked up Silent Alarm a little while back and I have to admit I kinda liked it, although I have to admit I preferred the remix version. They had a very Londonesque sound, and sounded a little different from the clones that dominate the music scene at the moment. When I saw that they had released a new album, I thought I would give it a try. It wasn't the kind of release that I would rush out and buy, but I would give it a little bit of my time. After all, man cannot survive on avocado alone, right?
So, what do I think? Well, although it hasn't blown me away, one track does stand out as being particularly good. Song for Clay is based on the work of one of the finest contemporary writers in the English language. As I guess that title might suggest, it refers to Clay from the superb novel Less Than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis. The song plays on many of the same themes as Ellis' debut work, quoting several passages from the book, including:
"People are afraid to merge on the freeways,"
and
"disappear here."
Now, that might be a superficial reason for liking a song, but personally I love Ellis' work. American Psycho is, in my opinion, one of the finest works of fiction of the past twenty years. Yeah, it is pretty stomach churning, but see through the violence and you see a pretty savage attack on consumer culture. As an aside, the film is also very good as it does a great job of playing down the violence and playing up the black humour of the book. In short, any work that references Ellis gets my vote.
As for the rest of the album, there are some notable stand out songs like Hunting for Witches, The Prayer, Uniform, Where is Home? and Kreuzberg. All good songs, but nothing that is really ground breaking in my opinion. It does, however, have the distinction of being far superior to some of their peers on the UK music scene. However, it has managed to displace Incubus' Light Grenades at the moment, which is some achievement (that is a superb album, Incubus back on form after the dodgy A Crow Left....). Overall, a worthwhile purchase with songs that really grow on you over time.Labels: american psycho, bloc party, bret easton ellis, fiction, music, new albums, non-90s music, uk music scene |
posted by korova @ 12:46 pm  |
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| 6 Comments: |
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I liked the album a lot at first, but now I am not so sure. A good way that I tell if I like an album is when I buy some more new albums after, I see if I go back to that album or do I just continue listening to the new stuff I bought. After buying the new Arcade Fire and a couple other albums, I haven't gone back to A Weekend In The City, which tells me that it doesn't have what it takes. Or it could just mean that the other stuff I bought are just that good. Who knows, but right now it doesn't seem as good as it once did. :)
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you seem to be able to bring badgers up in anything and everything. speaking of which, i drove past a Badger Inn & Pub ... it's somewhere over in Heathstead or some such place ... on the way to Bath from London ... i took a photo of it and everything, but ...
*grumble*
anyway ... i like this album, but nothing compares to Dido ... or other bands/singers that shall - as promised - go unmentioned.
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Wes - hey, I hear you on that. It is starting to grow on me though!
AM - yeah, bummer about your photos. Glad to hear that our music discussion shall remain confidential. Wes might never comment on my blogs ever again!!!
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how'd you like the snow patrol album?
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A non-nineties type album?
Korova, I'm proud of you!
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am - snow patrol was actually ok, for a non-90s band!!
neath - I aim to please. Well, unless you happen to be a right-wing loony, then you can go fuck yourself!
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I liked the album a lot at first, but now I am not so sure. A good way that I tell if I like an album is when I buy some more new albums after, I see if I go back to that album or do I just continue listening to the new stuff I bought. After buying the new Arcade Fire and a couple other albums, I haven't gone back to A Weekend In The City, which tells me that it doesn't have what it takes. Or it could just mean that the other stuff I bought are just that good. Who knows, but right now it doesn't seem as good as it once did. :)