The Rakes: Ten New Messages
The Rakes have become a favourite of fashion-conscious rockers for their sharp-suited style and cutting insight into city life
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Monday, 19, Mar 2007 01:47
V2 Records, out March 19th .
In a nutshell.
Spiky, simple, familiar, punk-lite.
What's it all about?
Ten New Messages is the follow-up to Capture/Release, one of the most popular albums of 2005, which packed a procession of hits on to one disc with tracks like 22 Grand Job, Retreat and Strasbourg.
With a London-centric outlook, The Rakes write songs about what they know with dirty streets, monotony and working for the man coming up as themes throughout their first album.
But on their return they've decided to experiment with genres outside of their tight, art-pop sphere with Ten New Messages inspired, in the words of lead singer Alan Donohoe, by "a combination of choral music, the television show 24, Bond theme tunes, first world war poets and the Sugababes".
Who's it by?
The Rakes have become a favourite of fashion-conscious rockers for their sharp-suited style and cutting insight into city life. In fact a whole collection from designer Hedi Slimane was based on the band's look and they provided the soundtrack to recent Dior Homme show.
But the music is where it really counts and this is where The Rakes really struck a chord with their first album through their affectionate look at the cold reality of modern life in the noughties.
As the self-proclaimed "world's first post-David Brent band", they were celebrated along with fellow art-rockers Bloc Party and Maxïmo Park as heralding another wave of intelligent punk, but despite being a hit with the hipsters, The Rakes never made it truly into the mainstream.
As an example.
"You slag off America in the pub
Saying the war was shite
Then in the club
Drink some Buds and smoke some Marlboro Lights..."
(The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect)
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
I'd say it's unlikely, more probably a mention at next year's NME Awards, if we can remember back this far.
What the others say
"There is an immediacy and zest to the Rakes' latest effort that is commendable, but it's not that memorable." Stylus magaxine.
"Haunting, funny, ironic and touching. This is a brilliant and timely reminder that indie music can blur into punk and be relevant, instead of sounding like the next big thing." Manchester Evening News.
So is it any good?
It's commendable that bands want to branch out. And they can do it well on occasion. People didn't like Radiohead's swerve into techno beats with Kid A, but after a second and third listen it became almost as celebrated.
Whether this will happen for The Rakes is less clear. Especially as this so-called departure is not as big or as innovative, or even as interesting, as it could have been. As much as The Rakes want to be breaking new ground, they continually sound more and more like other bands.
Little Superstitions sounds so much like the Strokes it's almost unnerving, although its still one of the stand-out tracks on the album.
And Trouble has a chorus that seems so familiar it could have been played by any of the current crop of desperate-to-be-cool bands swirling around, looking for something new.
But it's not a bad song. And few of them are. The album just seems to drift on as you're attention moves on to other things, like where exactly in this bleak town you're heading out or what you need down the shops. Nothing special, just mundane life.
This is where The Rakes succeeded in wrapping up bleakness and boredom with something witty and unique with Capture/Release. But without that spark the message falls flat. Perhaps, there's something to say for refining your art before moving on.
6/10
Nicholas Claxton