The Music – Strength In Numbers
Rob Harvey and Co. Release More Dance Infused Rock
Like The Cooper Temple Clause (who disbanded over a year ago) they were once touted as being one of the best new bands to emerge in England and tipped to be the next big thing, but just never gained real mainstream attention.
While inferior acts like Kasabian and The Klaxons have been riding high in recent years using exactly the same shtick, The Music were discarded and tossed aside. ‘Strength In Numbers’ is now their chance to gain something back.
More Dance, Less Rock
Usually when you buy a new album by band that you’ve followed for years you have a fixed impression of what it would sound like already present in your head. But when it’s completely different to your expectations it can either be a pleasant surprise or a complete disappointment. This sits somewhere in the middle.
When the title track kick starts the album, with its heavily distorted, robotic guitar riff, there’s a sense that something has changed. Drum programming has been added, the use of synths has upped, and everything sounds more refined with less emphasis on jamming.
It’s nice to hear that The Music are open to something new but it’s at the cost of those elements that made them so appealing in the first place. That’s not to say The Music don’t rock out on this, just that they toned down the Zeppelin inspired riffage that made their first 2 albums so irresistible and have heartily embraced the world of synthesisers and processed beats.
Rob Harvey's Wail Is More Annoying
Sure, The Music have always had a dance edge to their sound but it was much more creative when made by groovy bass licks and tight drum beats than programming and sequencers. As a result of the latter, tracks like ‘The Last One’ and ‘The Spike’ sound too artificial and unoriginal.
On the whole most of the songs are quite bland and samey, especially ‘Cold Blooded’, so there’s not much to differentiate between them.
What hasn’t changed much is Rob Harvey’s voice, which still has that nasal wail on the upbeat parts that’s charming and annoying in equal measure. But amongst new surroundings it’s slightly more irritating than ever.
Where ‘Strength In Numbers’ Comes Alive
However there are still many positives to take. The dark and brooding ‘The Left Side’ brings the album to life with its deep bass line and Massive Attack style beats. If The Music are looking for their next single, surely this is the obvious choice.
The stripped down acoustic ballad ‘Inconceivable Odds’ shows side of the band that should have reared its head before this album, as it’s another triumph.
‘Vision’ is vintage Music, with Adam Nutter’s delay soaked guitar lick and foot stomping chorus, while the hard riffs on ‘Fire’ are a clear nod back to their debut album. But it’s perhaps a weakness that an instrumental track hidden away at the end of the album is one of the stand-outs.
'Take The Long Road And Walk It'
At the end of the day it’s a decent, but somewhat flawed album. ‘Strength In Numbers’ fails in the sense that comes across as an attempt to sound like the current electro-indie scene instead of having its own identity.
The Music should not be disheartened by this effort though, almost every band in history has evolved with every album and had mixed results. If it’s a new sound they want, judging by this they still have a fair way to go before finding it.
Latest Articles