25/1/10
Lostprophets - ‘The Betrayed’
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Did anyone tell them nu-metal’s dead?
Welsh alternative rockers, Lostprophets first came to prominence as nu-metal was
dying out. Adding a last, inspired final kick to the genre, the band have
somewhat found themselves ushered out of mainstream success. Still, they’re big in Asia, hence the special region release and they do still have a
hardcore following here.
Opener ‘If It Wasn’t for Hate, We’d Be Dead by Now’ sees frontman Ian Watkins at his most classic rock, almost sounding like
Marilyn Manson as he croaks the title. Musically, it’s pretty much where ‘Liberation Transmission’ left off. ‘Dstryr/Dstryr’ is forged amongst similar lines - thunderous guitars, emotive screeches and the
general feeling of utmost rebellion.
First single, ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ is an obvious choice. Less rampant than its predecessors, but with a sing-a-long
rock chorus, it oozes
chart-ability. ‘Where We Belong’ feels very much like a rallying cry. Musically, it’s intelligently constructed and certainly prove the band have come a long way
since ‘Thefakesoundofprogress’. Dare I say it, but it’s very commercial-friendly.
A commanding guitar line dictates proceedings in ‘Next Stop, Atro City’. Why bands feel the need to put in such obvious puns is beyond me, but it’s just a needless fast-paced retro romp. There are more crowd-happy
karaoke-fests in ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Felon’. Funnily enough it’s the structure that lets this one down and actually would have worked better
like the atrocity (sic) before it.
Things improve on ‘AC Ricochet’. It could be the feint hint of a synthesizer (you know you want to) in the background or maybe it’s just a nice tune, whatever - it’s better. ‘A Better Nothing’ continues this vein of form. It has a fine chillout effect, which is certainly a
blast from the past in the Prophets’ style, and a welcome one.
‘Streets of Nowhere’ is officially where the band goes exactly where the pop press envisaged them – as a happy-go-lucky indie rock band. Certainly the line-up has a bit of
boybandish look about them and now they have the song to go with it. After that
you would hope for something better and it kinda comes in the form of ‘Dirty Little Heart’, in a whimpering sort of way. Its hint at more synthesizers is all that really
connects though.
‘Sunshine’ is a decent effort, if not overly memorable, kinda like ‘Ode to Summer’ and ‘Darkest Blue’ - it’s pretty much commercial pop. However there is some solace in ‘The Light That Shines Twice as Bright...’ which is one of the strongest tracks here, oddly.
Key Tracks:
- ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’
- ‘AC Ricochet’
- ‘The Light That Shines Twice as Bright’
- ‘If It Wasn’t for Hate, We’d Be Dead By Now’
Worst Tracks:
- ‘Next Stop, Atro City’
- ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Felon’
- ‘Dirty Little Heart’
Lostprophets has certainly evolved, how could it not with new members
outweighing founders 4:3? Still they seem rather unsure of their direction and
a need to add commercially-acceptable elements doesn’t go down well with me and certainly won’t with their fans. Still this record has its moments. 6/10 CM
Verdict
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Quirky Concept Records Ahoy
The vibrant alternative rockers release their eighth.
Often-billed as leading lights of the post-grunge revival, most UK fans will be
familiar with them due to NME’s affection. This time around, Eels maestro, E, has dreamed up a concept album
on divorce and ageing.
Opener, ‘The Beginning’, as you might expect is a solemn and weary start. It documents the beauty and freedom of the start of a relationship. Things take
an up-tempo turn in the funky, ‘Gone Man’. It sounds almost like a Dylan or Springsteen effort and plays like an
authentic All-American songbook that I’m sure it was intended as.
Reflection is back on the menu for ‘In My Younger Days’. It’s a much a reminiscent rock song full of regret and torture as you could wish
for. A 60s vibe is excavated for the progressive number, ‘Mansions of Los Felis’. This is a
song very much about hope, intrigue and social commentary. It’s a nice change of pace as well.
A sombre piano dictates proceedings on the melancholic, ‘A Line in the Dirt’. There’s a very believable and earthy feel to the record and it does connect on that
level of human emotion. The real croakiness comes out on ‘End Times’. Strummed along on a mellow guitar, this is authentic, down-trodden prog rock
in action as E (Mark Oliver Everett) growls: “the world is ending/but what do I care?”
Having lost his love previously, ‘Apple Trees’ serves as an audio filler, from the archives of the union, as it were. ‘Paradise Blues’ goes back to the previous up-tempo vibe with a classic rock ‘n’ roll sound. A very defiant message to the world, it does work. The classic mouth organ rears its head, unsurprisingly, on ‘Nowadays’. As he says himself, “trouble is a friend/I’d like to leave behind.” It’s a very intelligently-written tune that adds a lot to the record.
Things get very Doors initially on ‘Unhinged’. A chaotic song with a similar subject, it doesn’t add an awful lot other than narrative. ‘High and Lonesome’ creates an atmospheric thundery rainy night as a setting as we come into the
downcast vibe of ‘I Need a Mother’. The stripped-down structure is somewhat of a trademark of the disc and this is
very raw if nothing else.
‘Little Bird’ is impressive story narrative as it tells the tale of his lost love,
essentially the one that got away. The song prays for hope and meaning of life
in such seemingly inescapable circumstance. The emotion is as raw as you could
hope for, which is something this album oozes. ‘On My Feet’ is pretty much as you were and leaves a sense of ponder and reflection for the
listener.
Key Tracks:
- ‘Gone Man’
- ‘Little Bird’
- ‘Paradise Blues’
- ‘Nowadays’
- ‘A Line in the Dirt’
Worst Tracks:
- ‘Unhinged’
- ‘I Need a Mother’
Concept albums tend to be one extreme or the other but this one sits in a happy
medium of music. Not too flashy, yet it could hardly get more real and a true
example of classic Americana. 8/10 CM
Verdict
(c) ChrisOnline.biz 2010
