'The Strangest Things' Album Review
After The Strokes' ascendancy to super-stardom it was obvious that every A&R exec was not his salt would want a piece of the action. They could be seen scouring the streets and clubs of New York to find your next new favourite band. Thankfully this NY quartet, who may have been snapped up during the post-Strokes madness, don't share to many similarities with their hometown counterparts. Occupying a no man's-land somewhere between Coldplay and fellow New Yorkers Interpol, Longwave have so much more to offer - both musically and lyrically. Whether it's the melancholy moments of 'Meet Me At The Bottom' or 'Can't Feel A Thing', the shimmering guitar of stand-out track 'The Ghosts Around You', the up-tempo burst of 'Exit', or the languid instrumental closer 'Daysleeper', Longwave manage to capture the mood perfectly, thanks in part to the production talents of Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev). 'Pool Song' despite being a previous single, is probably the album's weakest moment - an almost like-for-like Strokes replica, but don't let that put you off. This, their sophomore album and major label debut, is the genuine article - and it certainly won't be the strangest thing when it turns up in the lists of top albums of 03. Just wait and see.
Darren Taylor
Rock Sound Issue 46 March 2003