This may be Razorlight’s debut album, but new it ain’t. We’ve heard it all before – from the faux-raw Strokes sound, via the Libertines-like growling, to the glam rock lyrics about girls and boys and stuff.
If you’ve heard the singles you’ve got a pretty good idea of what the album is like – rock tunes driven by staccato drums and three-chord guitar, delivered with plenty of attitude and passion.
The first listen yields a strong impression of youthful cockiness and more self-confidence than would be strictly necessary for such a young band. But then they are a bunch of very pretty boys and are being told so on a regular basis by all sections of the British media. Every photograph shows the four band members – two English, two Swedish – pouting and posing, with floppy fringes, skinny jeans and tight t-shirts all round.
Certain publications have been getting a bit ahead of themselves, hailing Razorlight as the 55th coming of British Rock and even labeling Up All Night the best debut album since Definitely Maybe. Unfortunately, extreme arrogance alone maketh no Oasis, and fears that the band might be able to live up to these expectations are somewhat justified.
On the other hand, they need not inevitably do a Menswear on us. This is an impressive debut with a few real gems and if the band succeed in making an impression on the festival circuit this summer they will certainly build a solid following. Cue success, celebrity girlfriends and maybe a more accomplished second album.