Derivative. Been there, done that, and didn’t like it all that much the first time. Euphuistic orchestral rock. Aberdeen City. No, not the actual Aberdeen City, located in the North-East of Scotland, sitting majestically –- and this is an important fact –- on the North Sea. But Aberdeen City, the band who have just released their debut album The Freezing Atlantic — see why that fact was important?
Okay, yes, I live in Scotland and I may have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about such things. And maybe Aberdeen City didn’t name their album The Freezing Atlantic because they believed that Aberdeen the city was on the Atlantic. Quite possibly ,they are simply products of the American public school system and their world geography isn’t what it should be.
Either way, it’s not the title of the album that really bothers me (it just itches). It’s the music. I don’t like it. Here are the facts: Aberdeen City is good at what they do -- they are obviously talented musicians who make music they are passionate about.
Their influences clearly show through -- Radiohead, Depeche Mode, and Interpol. Aberdeen City combines cosmic guitars, morose, dreary vocals and U2esque structures to create an orchestral-rock-on-a-budget sound. The Freezing Atlantic is perfect shoe-gazer music. However, it all feels very familiar -- you feel you have heard this a thousand times before. And I didn’t really like it the first time I heard it.
With the exception of “God Is Going To Get Sick Of Me”, this, the third track on The Freezing Atlantic, has the least pompous lyrics, with a strong indie rock feel and not too much of the orchestral thing going on.
Overall, this whole album, from the magniloquent lyrics to the I-know-I’ve-heard-this-a-hundred-times-before, wannabe cutting edge music smacks of overprivileged university students trying to make a point. And I just didn't like it. But they did give me a snow-globe, and that was mighty nice.
If you would like to judge for yourself, you can visit Aberdeen City’s MySpace page.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
Quite possibly they are simply products of the American public school system and their world geography isn’t what it should be.
now that is funny!
where's scotland?
2 - Grace
Don't worry, they know where Aberdeen is. Other than the Scottish city, "Aberdeen" was the name of the development they lived in when starting the band in Boston... which is on the Atlantic. And so slightly more relevant than you make out.
They also all went to Boston College, which is a pretty highly-rated school with a tough admissions policy. So fair enough that the music's not to your taste, but they're certainly not stupid.
3 - A.L. Harper
Mark - Scotland is that little country nestled between France and Russia.
Grace - Thanks for scratching that itch.
But let me say it again. They did give me a snow-globe and now I'm thinking of collecting them.