There seems to be a real resurgence of '80s-sounding punk rock, particularly of the New York variety, and this CD certainly epitomizes that sound. It starts out promisingly enough, with the title track bringing out the best in all members of the band (Julian Casablancas on vocals, Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. on guitars, Nikolai Fraiture on bass, and Fab Moretti on drums).
Although the liner notes were way too minuscule for this writer's eyes to decipher, and no background information appearing on the players (perhaps due to their relatively young ages), it does contain excellent photographs of the five attractive, dark-haired, dark-eyed rock gypsies, along with their producer, Gordon Raphael, their manager, Ryan (Whiz Kid) Gentles and JP Bowersock, their guru. I was very attracted to the cover art, as well.
Several of the earlier tracks on the CD, especially 'The Modern Age', strongly evoke images of Lou Reed on speed, which, of course, draws a further parallel to Iggy Pop. However, this collection of otherwise great compositions sometimes grates the ears with overly-strained vocals (not unlike Edwin's, formerly of I Mother Earth) and repetitively relentless power-chorded rhythms, which alternate between punk and reggae, stylistically. Fortunately, on most tracks, the vocals are quite palatable and the mundanity is saved by some intermittently quirky and manic guitar riffs (lead and bass) and straight-ahead rock'n'roll drums.
There's no denying the commercial viability of the tracks, though, as there are plenty of catchy choruses and verses, and the rhythmic patterns, while repetitive, are actually quite infectious after several listens. It's a completely upbeat CD, which will certainly get people who like to party in a feel-good mood - well, unless they're 'New York City Cops', a less than flattering track about same. As per the name of the last track, you can 'Take It or Leave It', I suppose. |
