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Review: Jack Foley
THE Rakes are another in the seemingly endless line of emerging
British guitar-based bands who take their cue from the likes of
The Jam and the post-punk nu-wave.
Fronted by Alan Donohoe, they specialise in creating angular
working class anthems that are packed with sharp, edgy guitars
and socially relevant lyrics.
The only trouble is, they sound way too generic and their music
suffers from being prone to too comparisons with other bands.
Retreat, for instance, is firmly rooted in punk-rock
territory and tells an all-too familiar story of suburban frustration
- 'everything is temporary these days, might as well go out for
the fifth night out in a row'.
The wage gap comes into play for 22 Grand Job, which
is similarly edgy but way too repetitive.
While the laddish culture that is gripping late-night Britain
is also condemned at several points, on tracks such as Violent,
We Are All Animals and Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep).
The latter, a former single, is actually one of the better efforts
on the album thanks to some infectious melodies and a more catchy
chorus than normal.
As is Binary Love, a melodic love song that embraces
a more refined style and a much fuller sound - complete with a
genuinely catchy chorus.
But too often the album feels borrowed or over-familiar, making
Capture/Release a curiously stale effort that doesn't
really have very much new to say, or to add to the overcrowded
genre.
Still, if you require a blast of raw, shambolic punk-rock, then
it might just tick the required box.
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Track listing:
1. Strasbourg
2. Retreat
3. 22 Grand Job
4. Open book
5. The Guilt
6. Binary Love
7. We Are All Animals
8. Violent
9. T Bone
10. Terror!
11. Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)
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