Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Breath of Fresh Air, 1 Oct 2007
Dark, brooding, melancholy...it's surely no coincidence that "Elegies To Lessons Learnt" is released in the same week as the Ian Curtis biopic, "Control." Like Joy Division's debut album, it bucks the current trend and comes as a very welcome breath of fresh air; in the case of "Unknown Pleasures" it arrived in the midst of the increasingly predictable onslaught of post-punk New Wave bands. For Iliketrains it's the endless stream of identikit post-Libertines angular guitar pop.
The comparisons end there, though, for Iliketrains are not treading the same musical path as Joy Division or following in their footsteps like Interpol or the Editors. Musically, this is post-rock reminiscent of the slow build-up, approaching thunderstorms of Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mogwai or early Hope of the States. David Martin's vocal is a dead ringer for The Swans' Michael Gira, right down to the flat, monotone delivery and that's the only drawback with this album - the monotonous vocals do grate a little after a while and it's not easy to listen to the entire album in one sitting.
Aside from that one criticism, this is a fine debut. No-one ever said that rock music had to be easy listening; this album is like a school history lesson, it demands that you sit down and pay attention. That's a tall order in this age of instant, disposable pop and short attention spans but it's well worth it and, you never know, you might actually learn something.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Am Murdered, 1 Oct 2007
Mastering the art of twisting history and the crescendoing flow of post-rock, iLiKETRAiNS have certainly achieved recognition. 'Elegies to Lessons Learnt' is born of tales from beyond the graves of those buried in the past. The influences of bands such as GodspeedYou! Black Emperor, Mogwai, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is evident, however iLiKETRAiNS strive to distinguish themselves in this album by keeping to their own distinctive sound. A band much loved live, where you can really appreiciate the impact they have, the album speaks for itself in volumes.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Most Pleasing Result, 7 Mar 2009
Mixing history lessons with that most beard stroking of music, post-rock, would in most people books lead to the most uninteresting musical mix imaginable. Thankfully this album should prove the doubting Thomas' wrong.
It's a brooding, dark album filled with the stories of figures damned, shamed, lost, murdered, lying, dying, or crying. From people who mislead to people who are dead, its tracks are filled with stories throughout history. The music owes a nod to the sounds of bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Sigur Ros. However the singer's voice keeps the music grounded, and his baritone sound is perfect for the tone and setting of these songs.
They also have an interesting EP called Progress Reform, which is excellent also, but this full length is a brilliant display of a band moving on, but definitely not leaving the past behind.
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