CD Review--Razorlight-Up All Night

As I listened to Razorlight's debut album, Up All Night, I wondered why it took so long to hear about these guys. They have a confident (some say cocky) frontman in Johnny Borrell, who is the self-proclaimed greatest songwriter of the self-proclaimed greatest band in the world. That alone gets the music magazines and websites humming with soundbites. They have received praise from the British music scene, including Best New Act at the 2004 Q Awards, beating out Franz Ferdinand for the award. But, thus far, the band is mired in a degree of anonymity in the states. Its time to take notice of this group.

The debut album by the British group is a fun album with enough crunchy, catchy guitar riffs and drum work to keep you toe tapping throughout. The lyrics are a little lacking at times (on "Rip it Up"--"Well hey girl, get on the dancefloor/And rip it up yeah/That’s what it’s there for"), but overall, its an album that will cement Razorlight as formidable competition to The Libertines, The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand.

When I listen to a group I've never heard before, I like to link them to another group in terms of sound or style, or both. Some groups never seem to find a match for me, like The Darkness, another great new group. Anyway, Razorlight reminds me of a cross between two New England groups bands- Talking Heads and The Cars, if they had hung around the guys from the Strokes for too long. Johnny Borrell's vocals are in keeping with the recent re-discovery of Lou Reed's less-than-Broadway singing style. It works at times on this record, and there are moments when it feels quite forced.

All in all, there are hits and misses on the album, but more of the former than the latter. Notable standouts on the disc are "Vice", "Stumble and Fall", "Leave Me Alone", and "To The Sea". The one real dud is "Rip it Up", a cheesy and unnecessary B-side quality song that should have been left off (but will probably be their biggest hit since I just crapped on it).

If Johnny Borrell can keep his ego in check, this band has pleasant days ahead. Most people assume that rock stars, and all celebrities for that matter, are cocky, self-absorbed narcissists. We just don't need to hear it from the horse's mouth. If the music is that good, and it is pretty good, then let it speak for itself.

Article Author: Matt Freelove

Matt Freelove and Brian St. Brian are the braintrust behind The BM Rant, covering good music, bad celebrities, and the city of Philadelphia.

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