Good name but some way off their debut (Klang - The Rakes)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Klang - The Rakes
Date:	13/07/09 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quite lively, supposedly much better than 2nd album

Disadvantages: No real stand out singles

I can't claim to have been a fan of The Rakes for particularly long, however I did have a little listen to their 1st album and was impressed, the 2nd I hear was a bit of a disappointment but I can't confirm that without having had a listen - Klang however seems to be back to form.

The Rakes seem to take influence from numerous other bands - notably to my ears Blur and numerous new wave/ post-punk acts like Nick Cave and Gang of Four whilst also borrowing from contemporaries like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. They are almost always upbeat, only occasionally turning the tempo down to build it back up again.

The vocals change from typical indie vocals (Futureheads etc) to a more robotic new wave sound which goes well with the more electro influenced tracks.

The Final Hill has quite a strong message and the beat also sounds familiar but some of the longer winded instrumental sections seem to make the song lose its initial intensity.

Numerous other tracks make their mark - "Bitchin in the Kitchen" is quite cool which vocally sounds like Jarvis Cocker meets Right Said Fred with a glammy trashy electro sound to the music, but none are as good as the selected singles from the band's debut.


1 You're In It
2 That's The Reason
3 Loneliness Of The Outdoor Smoker
4 Bitchin' In The Kitchin'
5 Woes Of The Working Woman, The
6 1989
7 Shackleton
8 Light From Your Mac, The
9 Muller's Ratchet
10 Final Hill, The

Summary: Not as good as the band's debut album