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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Raking in the plaudits, 20 Oct 2005
This album caught me a little off guard. I brought it on a whim and now I have had it for a couple of months. Just recently the penny dropped, and I now get it. There is a certain quality that surrounds this band that I like. Sounding a bit like the Clash and the Jam in the sense that there is a anti-establishment streak in them which certainly has endeared them to me. There is also a pessimistic slant to the lyrics; it is not your run of the mill happy punky rock album. I'm not a lyric man, I'll be honest and say I miss the point a lot of the time, but the lyrics are quality throughout the album, it is really a social commentary of London life, I'd liken it to the type of narration The Streets use. Sung, not spoken though. Similar type of topics as Hard-Fi are also producing too, It seems Mike Skinner take on the public and places around him have become a major influence in British music. These boys have lent heavily on their influences and along with the aforementioned punk rock gods they sound like they have much respect for The Libertines. Something familiar also hit me throughout the album, and it is the likeness to Bloc Party with their clever use of electronic production gives this album a definite edge. It certainly fits in well with what Bloc Party have achieved but with and extra punch of aggression. As debuts go this is pretty outstanding. Although, I do feel they have a broad set of influences to capture the largest market area. I didn't get it at first, took a couple of listens before it sounded good, be aware of this and it will grow on you. All in all it is a thumbs up from me. Like :- Clash, Gang Of Four, Bloc Party, The Libertines
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superb = No other word for it, 16 Aug 2005
I brought this album entirely on the strength of there live show at the Oxford Zodiac which blew me away but i was not sure if there live energy and clever lyrics would convert to CD...boy heck do they.
This album is one of pure class from end to end with the stand out tracks being Strasbourg, Retreat, 22 Grand Job and Terror. My personel favourite however is track number 4 Open Book. This song has a very catchy hook and its just got me going so to speak.
You will probably hear comparisons to Ian Curtis of Joy Division in regards to the front man but I cannot see where these comparisons spring from, while Joy Division will send you reaching for the knife the Rakes will make you want to dance and in my case anyway smile.
This album does have its faults though with some of the tracks not being as effective as the other stands out but in general though this is a magnificent debut and one that is worthy of your money.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Rakes, 28 Aug 2005
So, to start off, I never used to be a fan of The Rakes at all, I never used to see what all the fuss was about. But I heard the new single Work Work Work... and thought it was a pretty catchy tune so I thought I may as well get the album. Most people may right these off as 'just another indie band jumping on the bandwagon' or an 'NME band' and this is true, NME do seem to love them, and they do sound very similar to what is 'in' at the moment, such as Bloc Party, The Futureheads etc... but they do seem to bring their own unique twist to the equation. If I was to sum up their style of music I would say it is a mixture of Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and The Streets but with something a bit different thrown into the mix. Sure, the lyrics are nothing special, but there is something about them you can't fail to like. They are a very tight band, and you would find it hard to come across any flaws in their music, and you can certainly see why magazines such as NME like them, and why all the indie kids love them. Overall I would say this is an amazing album, and it stands out from the crowd of the indie cd's getting released lately, because it is something a bit new and a bit different, but it never strays too far away from the indie blueprint. So I would say fans of Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser chiefs, The Departure etc.. shoud certainly pick this up. Also fans of the 'indie' genre or just people who have a soft spot for a catchy tune. Standout tracks : Strasbourg. Retreat. Open Book. Terror. Work Work Work Rating : 8/10
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