This album represents the end of an era. Released in 2006 (three years after Modern Artillery), it was the final album before they adopted the heavier, slower style of the following albums.
I was actually meant to review this album after their 2nd EP, but I needed to use Reverend Horton Heat in between to "cleanse the palate". On one hand, I respect a band who look to evolve their sound. On the other hand, the early punkabilly style was so unique that I would be happy if they kept releasing albums like that until the end of time! Therefore a direct comparison with their early recordings would not have done this album justice.
'Till the End does a great job to grab your attention. I have no idea what the lyrics are discussing, but they fill the gaps nicely! This is a pumping "four on the floor" rock song with some nice subtle use of horns in the background.
Instrumentally, Long Live the Weekend achieves similar heights and it has a great singalong chorus. However I find the lyrics in the verses very banal and a big turn-off. While I'm moaning, the recording quality on this song is a bit strange. It often feels somehow over-processed, like it's very compressed (especially the vocals). Also, the sound gets quite messy when the band is at full noise.
The Modern Artillery style of long, dramatic tales (eg The Room) is present for No Way Out. The fade in intensity at the very end is a disappointment, I wish the song went out on a high. However the rest of the song is an enjoyable headbanging journey, similar to the longer songs on Bleed Like Me. Another "mini-The Room" is Order of the Day. It takes a while to find its feet, but once it gets there it's inspiring and powerful rock at its best.
Similarly, Nothing Lasts Forever and One Step Behind are fantastic storytelling rock. In Nothing Lasts Forever the music mainly serves to complement the lyrics, while the instruments take greater prominence in One Step Behind. Both have wonderful composition and layering.
Wake Up is an incredibly emotional four-and-a-half minutes for me every time I hear it. It is such a pure drug, like the best of U2 distilled into one song. I can't really say much more, because words fail me when trying to describe this song. Incredible.
Back to the safe ground of headbanging rock! We Want More is a solid pub rock anthem. Perhaps the recording quality might sound better after a few beers, too. Because, when listening sober, the cymbals and vocals sound like a badly compressed mp3 at times. What's on Your Radio is perhaps from an alternate universe where the band moulded themselves around Prisoner of Society for the rest of their career. What's on Your Radio has lots of catchy elements, but somehow feels tacky (perhaps even contrived). The song was a successful single at the time, but has well and truly worn out its welcome. (Yes, this totally undermines my opening rant!)
Following the "mini-rock operas", Reborn is the perfect refresher. A great catchy pub singalong, with genuine emotion behind it. The bridge is awful, but its got plenty of company with other brilliant songs that have terrible bridges (for example, Bush's Glycerine). Perhaps it's a deliberate tactic to make the rest of the song shine in comparison?!
Nowhere Town is the result of perfecting the ska-esque beat (which they made of dog's breakfast of in I Can't Give You What I Haven't Got). Here, it works brilliantly, and the guitar work in the chorus is a highlight.
State of Emergency works to a pretty generic formula of riff rock verses and the "four on the floor" chorus. But it works for me! Black Cat is similar, but spoiled for me by the twee guitar riff in the verses. On the bright side, the chorus is very catchy.
The final song, Into the Red, and I go way back! I heard them play it years before at a festival, where it worked a treat to rev the crowd up (pun intended!). However, it didn't appear on the following album, so I thought it was lost to history. So it was a wonderful surprise to find this hedonistic and anarchistic (overly long words to describe the Sex Pistols style...) party rock song years later on this album.
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