 |
THE MUSIC
The Music
(Capitol/EMI)
The Music are the new darlings of the U.K. music press, who have dubbed them "the band that's going to change everything." That kind of hyperbolic slavering isn't news. But here's what is: This time, the Brits are on to something.
If there's ever been a band that lives up to the hype -- and just might live up to the supreme audacity of their name -- it's these lads. Officially, they hail from Leeds. But on their mesmerizing and awe-inspiring debut album, their musical influences come from far and wide.
First and foremost, there's the bluesy guitar-rock swagger of Led Zeppelin and the psychedelic rebellion of the Madchester scene -- a bizarre gene-splice if there ever was one.
But there's also the groovecentric vibe of acid-house, the electronic artiness of The Chemical Brothers, the cocky Britrock of Oasis, the mature craftsmanship of U2 and even the nasal vocals of Geddy Lee. And on lengthy, freewheeling transfixers like The Dance, The People, Disco and Take the Long Road and Walk It, those elements and influences intermingle like a club crowd on Ecstacy, rubbing and bumping against each other as they move in unison, pushing the driving, hypnotic grooves upward and outward on trippy waves of Echoplexed guitars, swirls of knob-twiddling effects and singer Robert Harvey's shamanic yelping.
Oh, and just to make it even more stunning, most of these lads are still in their teens.
Ultimately, The Music likely won't change everything. But they're already a welcome change on the Britrock landscape.
Track Listing
1. The Dance
2. Take The Long Road And Walk It
3. Human
4. The Truth Is No Words
5. Float
6. Turn Out The Light
7. The People
8. Getaway
9. Disco
10. Too High