Up All Night

Editorial Review

In some respects you’ve heard it all before. Mix and match the post-punk rock of The Vines, arrogance of Oasis, rawness of The Strokes, or quirky glint in the eye fun of Franz Ferdinand. For goodness sake there’s even some Beatles in here too ?but what four-piece guitar outfit doesn’t. In under two years Razorlight have gone from first rehearsals to finished album, something pretty speedy in lumbering rock circles. They comprise of one Brit, two Swedes and one drummer of part Peruvian and part English stock. So with a hint of the Andes, it’s the crossover sound of the North Sea ?but without the wet fish.

“Leave Me Alone?grows from a delicately probing start, through a couple of mood changes, to a howling crescendo of nervous energy. A nearly very good start to a nearly excellent album. The same-ey repetition through some of the tracks is a minor reservation, which although acceptable within their genre, might have been enhanced by tightening up their tunes and being less blatant on a first outing.

The feel of “Rock ‘n?Roll Lies?also has a slightly naïve feel to it, but the heavier guns come out after that. “Vice?has deeper melodies and a nagging quality that means that you really must play it again. Johnny Borrell’s vocals are not meant to be polished, and their quaking energy makes the whole album work as well as it does.

If you want oomph, then “Dalston?is unrivalled. It’s a pogo stomper with fantastic venom. The extra minute of overkill repetition at the end thumps in the point, but never leaves you in doubt. The album is not all seared guitars (though they are the main feature) and the title track has a deceptive subtlety to it ?before the volume is cranked up. Tracks may start off low key, but there’s never too long before a riff creeps up from out of the blue. And when it does, it blows your socks off.

Razorlight can definitely play, but the strength of a debut can also be measured in restraint as much as balls. The riffs are mostly monstrous here, but to show tuneful moderation is to show a future. The splendidly bouncy “Which Way Is Out?nearly has that promise, but then Borrell burns out his tonsils again. A lost opportunity perhaps. “Rip It Up?is right out of The Strokes songbook, and with a funky stop / start attitude and sharp ending is a definite highlight.

The warmly melodic “Golden Touch?and more frantic “Stumble And Fall?singles are obvious goodies. The simpler bass and drum (not drum ‘n?bass) arrangement of “Get It And Go?works well, whilst the spoken intro of “In The City?is good contrast too. “To the Sea?has occasional frantic flair before the well deserved subdued finale of “Fall Fall Fall?

This band has a definite identity even if they are not sliced bread’s worthy successor. They don’t have the scintillating dynamism of The Libertines, but hopefully these guys won’t have that messed-up burn-out potential either. Is this perfect? No, but as a first stab at greatness, ‘Up All Night?is audacious, confident and brash. They may not be the brightest cutting edge (ahem) but Razorlight are another very welcome hammer to bang in the nail.

Neil Chase
Music Editor

Contributors:

• Razorlight
• Natty
• Johnny Borrell

Additional Info

• Label: Universal Records (USA)
• No of Discs: 1
• Recording: STEREO
• Format: Single Case

Tracklisting