Released March 30th on FatCat Records
Ah, musical genres. As if there weren’t enough of you already, some upstarts from South-East London have gone and made another one up – sewage. This is what The Rank Deluxe claim to play, which is a shorter version of saying punk, indie rock and reggae, so it’s not as bad as it sounds. The Rank Deluxe have been around for a few years now, have received lavish praise from NME and John Kennedy of Xfm (who made every release of theirs Single Of The Week) and finally have an album coming out called You Decide. OK then, I will.
Opener Doll Queue has a distinct whiff of romance about it, yet delivered in the sewage style it’s far from a love song; it’s more of an ode to London town (or taaaaaan if you’re from round here too). It breaks down to a thudding climax, and is a great starting track. Straight Jacket continues the feeling of hopelessness, but with songs this good you think they might be a little happier. The guitars are special, hooks that other bands would kill for, and you wonder if that’s exactly what The Rank Deluxe did. Stereotypes has a reggae-style verse, but the chorus has a menacing delivery, particularly the “What you gonna do when we come for you?” line. It’s like the quiet-loud-quiet-louder formula that worked for Nirvana and the Pixies. It works here too. Even No One Can Be Someone is an angry bombast that makes you believe what NME called, “the rowdiest, angriest punk-rock explosion in the capital.” It’s a belter.
Rapid Eye loses some of the bite from previous tracks, but is a different style of song. You wait for it to explode, it only happens at the end, and it’s unruly and brilliant, but maybe it could have got there sooner. Innocence is another curious one, lyrically and musically fine but it’s not quite brutal enough in its delivery. Must be the punk in me coming out. They are both still decent, but just filler compared to the opening tracks.
Then Save It For Tomorrow makes up for them with a shoutalong chorus so catchy you wonder how no one has done it before. Maybe they killed for that too. It seems to end abruptly, just as you want it to go on. It’s the Arbeit Macht Frei of the album – a short, explosive, great song. Pleasure seems to be haunting, a tad like if The Specials had been created today with their blood boiled. They Don’t Matter/Those That Mind has a lively, extremely likeable opening, and it only improves from there. It’s the best song on the album, a real highlight. This song could get them an army of fans if played at the right places and to the right people.
Tightrope gets the head well and truly nodding, a blistering account. The drums and bass that have driven the album along come to the fore here, teamed up with the truly impressive lead guitar makes a great racket. Rock ‘n’ Roll Machine is a great way to close the album. “Everybody wants a rock ‘n’ roll machine.” Bloody right we do, especially if it’s as well-oiled and turbocharged as this. There’s even a hidden track at the end, just a loose jam like Endless, Nameless. It’s a nice touch on a good album that, save the two tracks in the middle, could have been a great album. But either way, it’s a mighty fine debut.
What's your favourite spliced up new music genre? Is The Rank Deluxe one of the best band names ever?? Is this yet another b linding release from those people at FatCat??
Posted In Album Reviews, Mar 25 2009.
Words - Paul