But if I may start with a whinge, the audio quality has... ahem... some flaws. Everything below about 200 Hz (kick-drum and bass guitar) is a mess, and everything below about 100 Hz is just plain missing. Then at the top end, it sounds quite harsh, like a badly compressed mp3. The bass guitar is often very quiet, and the resulting hole makes the overall sound of the band really thin. On the plus side, the vocals sound brilliant. The chorusing is straight from the book of early No Doubt, and it works a treat. Also, there are many instruments added to the rock band throughout the album (strings, trumpet, organ, etc) and are integrated with nice balance.
On to the songs. Metro perfectly introduces the style of pop-goth rock. Like if No Doubt traded their horn section and sunny California setting for a dark cathederal with organ! Highlights of Metro are the moody pre-chorus and the catchy pop chorus. Great stuff.
Control is another superb balance of light-hearted pop fun with emotive goth styling. The keyboards and fake strings work very well, and I really dig the lyrics. Valentine also uses a similar recipe to great effect. It is intensely powerful for the chorus- the band cranked up to 11, the singer furiously wailing and the strings adding even more epic-ness. Another favourite section of mine is the second half of the bridge.
Pop music needs more harpsichords! That's my conclusion after hearing Bullet on the Tracks. Its faster pace keeps things varied across the album, and the song is constantly dripping in great pop hooks.
The band seem to like their ballads in a 6/8 tempo, which is fine by me. Don't Go Soft is a solid effort, with a nice use of strings. Ghost Train Out is a bit more evocative for me, thanks to the music setting the vivid scene of a moonlit landscape (similar to Howling Bells). This song also shows the wonderful range and power of the lead singer, and engaging lyrics for the verses.
Things get a bit crazy for The House of Tasteful Men. It's a bit oddball, and quite immature- I like it! Appropriately, the lyrics of the verses don't make any sense, and they are complemented nicely by the whimsical chorus verses. Musically, it jumps all over the place and occasionally the transitions between sections are a bit clumsy, but I don't care, it's great fun.
Surgery's highlight is the great headbanging chorus. I find the verses are a bit strange, but they do stop the album from getting stale, so I guess it works. Fears in the Water has a similar hint of "mad genius" and, again, the headbanging chorus is fantastic.
Dream is another that works because of the contrast it provides on the album. That's not to say it isn't a good song in its own right- the lyrics are great and the chorus is wonderfully addictive. My favourite moment is the build-up to the ending: starting with a howlingly intense bridge, followed by an acoustic version of the catchy chorus, then finally the epic final chorus at full noise.
Just before the end of the album, the band pull a trumpet out of their hat for This Road is Going Nowhere. And it works a treat, adding another great dimension to their sound. To top it off, the stop-start verses contrast perfectly with the addictive bouncy chorus.
To wrap things up, Letters to No-one is another frenetic energy-fest. Which makes for pop brilliance, similar to House of Tasteful Men. It feels more like a breakneck twisting journey than a structured song. For example, where's the chorus? I dunno, but nor do I care!
Favourite songs
Metro, Control, Bullet on the Tracks, Valentine, The House of Tasteful Men, Ghost Train Out, Fears in the Water, Dream, This Road is Going Nowhere, Letters to No-oneWorthwhile?
Recording quality issues aside, this is a fantastic album. I really dig the style, and they pull off the pop/goth balance perfectly.
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