Razorlight: Razorlight
Razorlight are back with their second album
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Wednesday, 09, Aug 2006 03:45
Vertigo, out now.
In a nutshell.
Slow, punctuated, emotional, confident, stylish
What's it all about?
Razorlight's new album is a departure from the dirty and aggressive rock tune that symbolised Up All Night. The romance and girlfriend trouble is back in this record, but the tunes are slower and Borrell leads the songs with his rhythmic harmonising and Kate Bush style 'oh oh oh' intermittently between most lines. In The Morning and Back To The Start are the closest thing to Up All Night that can be found here, with Who Needs Love? and America reflecting the slower and relaxed tone. Razorlight is Borrell taking his band into the rock n' roll royalty list, he can now be friends with Bono knowing that his band are, seemingly, going in the same direction. Whether or not this is a good thing will be a point of big debate. The guerrilla gigs and the 'look' are the only things keeping Razorlight in the indie hemisphere, headlining Wembley Arena has left Brixton Academy behind, and they won't be coming back.
Who's it by?
Razorlight launched with their 2004 debut Up All Night, Borrell claimed his songs were up there with Dylan's and that Razorlight would be huge. He was proved right on the latter and Razorlight went on to be one of the bands of the year. Borrell is an interesting character that divides opinion in almost every area. Starting off in the music world as the bass player for the then unsigned Libertines, Borrell absconded before a label session and set up the Johnny Borrell experience that would eventually become Razorlight. The band's second album has the opportunity to take Razorlight to the next level and feedback is currently extremely positive. It's being lapped up by Radio One and has sat at the top of the charts for two weeks. Borrell's answer to the critics: Who's laughing now?
As an example.
"One more thing I've got to know/does he take you places that I don't/what happened to the stories that we wrote"
Before I Fall To Pieces is an album highlight and shows exactly what is right about this record. It's got the bitter love story and the addictive tune; Borrell's voice also works very well on this track and you want to listen to it again and again. However the format becomes a little repetitive and can be seen in Los Angeles Waltz as an example of the format not working at all.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
It is highly likely that heaps of awards will come Razorlight's way for this album. Brit nominations are probable and Q magazine and NME shortlists will no doubt be filled with Razorlight tracks. The popularity of this album has and will push for recognition in commercially recognised awards events.
What the others say
The BBC: "This is a surprisingly mellow record, considering what came before. Raucous power chords are out, allowing Bjorn Agren's impressively precise, chiming fretwork to take centre stage. At 35 minutes Razorlight is a frustratingly fleeting listen, and Borrell's lyrics certainly don't make waves. Nevertheless, as a brother to Up All Night, it makes perfect sense."
The Independent: "If that sounds like a broader range of styles than were employed on their debut, so it should: there's even a faux-R&B number, "Who Needs Love?"
So is it any good?
Razorlight is a strong album and the first six tracks leave you feeling nostalgic and impressed by Borrell's confident tones. But the record becomes stagnant and doesn't move onwards from its starting point; it's hard to be dismissive of a set of good pop tunes but when they leave you shortly after removing your headphones they seem forgetful. In The Morning remains a strong track and America has the girl's gossip mags in dreamland. Before I Fall To Pieces is lyrically impressive and Who Needs Love? sounds like a pumped up Kinks track.
Up All Night was fast and furious throwaway rock n' roll that left you wanting to hear more and believing there was more. But Razorlight seems to prove this isn't the case, there seems little in Borrell's repertoire to call on at times, and this can be frustrating and boring to listen to. The band play a minor part compared to Borrell's vocalising 'solos' that seem self-infatuated and you feel like the band could give so much more strength to this album.
It's not all bad; this is polished if somewhat 'live' sounding and leaves you feeling that Razorlight are performing at a confident and competent level. However fans of the first album and the early demos will hope there is more to this band and that this is a sweet and memorable departure from the energy that is displayed in Up All Night. In the NME world there is a thirst for a band to bring out a great second album yet still retain that edge, it may sound cliched, but that's what keeps rock n' roll alive. The Libertines came so close to doing it but fell apart at the vital moment, Franz Ferdinand produced an exciting single and then an unlikeable full second album. Razorlight have moved away from that 'edge' and into the safe zone, they're performing within themselves.
The band will go on to another record, and they'll fulfil their tour commitments with professionalism. But no longer is Borrell inclined to throw it all away, and the danger has gone. The same could be said for the songs.
7/10
Karl Pike