This is the second album from the incredibly cool Cooper Temple Clause, released in September 2003, this is undoubtedly one of the best albums to come out of the UK this year. This album is a combination of rock, metal and indie, with a bit of techno, and a ballad thrown in for good measure.
The Same Mistakes
The album kicks off with a slow rhythmic bass line, and as in almost all of the songs on the album, dynamics are used brilliantly in this track, as it starts fairly quietly and rises into a medley of guitars and synth later in the track.
5/5
Promises, Promises
This is the first single to be taken from the album, and is a goreat sounding, hard hitting song, although it also has some quieter vocal-driven parts. A good song, but nowhere near the best on the album.
4/5
New Toys
A beautiful song with some well placed keyboard, synth and backing vocals throughout. As I have said, this song uses dinamics well, with quiet, peaceful verses, and a heavy sounding chorus. The lyrics in this song are well thought out, although the title only refers to the fact that they recorded this song with brand new equipment.
5/5
Talking To A Brick Wall
A very slow song in parts, with the vocals lading the way through most of the song. This song is very rhythmic (note the clapping in the verses). Let again, dynamics are brought into play well when the song goes from quiet and tonally (if that's a word) very deep, to a much louded and slightly higher pitched chorus.
4/5
Into My Arms
Well here it is, the ballady love song. This is probably the strangest song on this album, and is very quiet and dramatic and ballady throughout the song, until after the fifth minute, when all hell breaks loose and the stangly industrial sounding loud techno style part of the song is unleashed.
3.5/5
Blind Pilots
This is the second single taken from the album, and rightfully so, it is a brilliantly crafted song, starting with a guitarless first verse, the guitar kicking in for the the second verse, and reaching the first cresendo, at the loud chordy and cymbolly chorus, and then going into a quiet inturlude. This is quite possibly the best track on the album, with great lyrics throughout.
5/5
A.I.M.
Released on an NME CD earlier in the year, this song has been re-recorded, revamped, and is simply brilliant. It is very synth driven in the start of the song and in the verses, and the chorus has one of my favourite vocals of the year on it. A brilliantly put together track, even if it did take two attempts.
5/5
Music Box
This song is fairly typical of the Coopers. It has haunting synth and keyboards, brilliant vocals, well used dynamics and great lyrics. A cracker of a song.
5/5
In Your Prime
A very short song (just over two minutes long), it features some excellent vocal harmonies and is queit throughout
3/5
Written Apology
The longest song on the album by far (just over 10 minutes long), it is very low key and elaborate (until about the sixth minute but we"ll get to that later) good vocals, backing vocals, and a brilliant piano part. Around about the sixth minute this song kicks off into a crazy techno piece with no vocals, and (seemingly no guitar or keyboard either). This song can get a bit dull, but it is a good choice of song to end the album on.
3/5
Overall:
Definitely a progression on 2002's
See Through This And Leave, this album has almost everything you could want from it.
I got the average of all the individual song scores, and this album scores an impressive 4.25 out of 5.
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