Review Summary: Johnny 'the ego' Borrell and his bunch of merry men attempt to push Indie Pop into the Stadiums with rather appalling results.
For a man who spent his teenage years crawling around the streets of London town breaking into cars and mugging people for smack money, Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell is quite a cocky little fella. In recent press interviews he's being quoted claiming himself to be ''better then Bob Dylan'', ''a genius'' and even ''the greatest songwriter of our generation''. But then again, aren't Rock stars suppose to be cocky and controversial? just look at the likes of the Gallagher brothers, Joe Strummer, Johnny Rotten, Morrissey and even Pete Doherty. But the thing with these artists is that they also had the songs to match the swagger. Johnny Borrell is all mouth and no action.
With an ego bigger then Bono's bank balance it wasn't long before Borrell was hitting the mainstream with his band Razorlight. Their debut 'Up All Night' was a catchy, energetic and easily accessable Indie Pop record that took the band from being mere Post-Libertines wannabes to Pop megastars over night. Over the next two years the band would achieve yet more success with more #10 singles, prime time slots on Live8, an NME award (for best newcomer back in early 2005) and several sold out UK tours. But for all this success, Razorlight are still a band both hated and adored in equal amounts. Many went out and saw the band recently on their UK arena tour, but many also cheered when Borrell was headbutted by Pete Doherty backstage at the Carling Weekend Festival in 2005. Not only was this a moment in which the anti-Borrell parade stood up and cheered, it was also proof that Pete Doherty is at least still good for something. So it appears that Razorlight are a band who are gonna split people down the middle, so what side of the fence should you be on?
Razorlight are:
Johnny Borrell - Guitar, Vocals, Ego
Bjorn Agren - Guitar
Carl Dalemo - Bass
Andy Burrows - Drums
June 2006, and Razorlight release their second album, simply titled 'Razorlight'. The record achieves large crictical and commerical success what with the album flying to the top of UK album charts after just one week - where as it took 'Up All Night' almost a year to reach #1.But it was Q magazine's review of the album in which it dubbed the record ''the greatest Guitar record since 'Definitely Maybe''' that really shook me. Razorlight! making the greatest Guitar album of the last 12 years! no ***ing chance! So, one sunny saturday morning back in the summer I made my way down to my local record store to grab myself a copy and to see what all the fuss was about. I can honestly say after just one listen this record has found a nice new home for itself on my 'Listen to once and forget about' shelf (other records on the shelf include 'American Idiot', The Darkness' debut album, 'Inside In/ Inside Out by The Kooks and any Oasis record released after 1995).
Because unlike what Q magazine said, 'Razorlight' is a boring, self-obessed and over produced record of diet U2 Stadium Rock hand-me-downs that are more likely to find a home for themselfs in your Auntie's CD collection rather then in the heart of Pop music history. Things go downhill first thing with opening track and recent single 'In The Morning'. Although it's not the worst song I've ever heard it's just clear within the first opening verse that Mr Borrell isn't the ''genius'' that he thinks he is.
In The Morning:
I don't know what am doing wrong
Maybe I've being here too long
The songs on the radio sound the same
Everybody just looks the same
Last night was so much fun
Now your sheets are dirty
The streets are dirty too
But you never look back over what you've done
Mr. Dylan it's ok to come out of the broom cupboard now.
Although 'In The Morning' is one of the album's finest moments (though trust me, there's not many of them) despite it's catchy hooks and easy going melodys it's still very predictable and weak. With it's sunny Guitar riffs and forgetable chorus it's the type of music that soundtracks Cheshire Dinner parties and that's exactly what it is, bland, unchallenging and disposable. It floats by with no real intent or reason before reaching it's Police-style Reggae Pop finale - ouch! For his next move Borrell drags out the old Pub backroom piano for the Elton-esque 'Who Needs Love'. Yet again we get to see Johnny's ''genius'' side come out and play with the lines
''Oooo darling, who needs love? who needs a heaven up above? who need the clouds in the sky?'' over the top of a repeative Piano riff. *sigh* yet again - ouch!
Sadly, there's no signs on the rest of the album that look like things are gonna pick up. Especially on fourth track and recent #1 single 'America' a stripped down, by-numbers ballad in the same vein as 'Golden Touch' but minus the dark hearted center and Beatles-y coating that made 'Golden Touch' an instant modern classic. 'America' is easily a strong contender for 'Worst track of 2006' with it's unnoticable chorus and angsty lyrics. One of the things that stopped Razorlight's debut from becoming anything more then just a flash in the pan favourite was really the whole forced feeling you got from it. Yet again, the same problem has occured on 'Razorlight' - but this time it's worse, much much worse. It's hard to find something to love here, everything sounds forced or rushed. It's as if the band aren't having fun anymore, and if the band don't care about the music . . . . why should we?
The band try to bridge the gap between The Smiths' 'Some Girls Are Bigger Then Others' and U2's 'One' on the terrible 'Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got'. On which Bob Geldof appears to have taken over on singing duties . . . . what? it's Borrell still! what the ***? either way 'Can't Stop . . .' is still a sickly, skippable song about Johnny's personal life. A subject that dominates every track on the album. From his nervous breakdown whilst on tour in the states ('Los Angeles Waltz'), to feeling lonely ('Kirby's House') even to the fact that he can't get a girlfriend ('Who Needs Love?') the whole record is centered around Johnny. It feels as if this is a Johnny Borrell solo record, and the rest of Razorlight are just a session band. Which is a shame really, what with Bjorn's tropical-tinged Guitar riffs providing the album with a much needed drop of light and Carl Dalemo's bass lines bouncing around throughout the whole record as well as Andy Burrows' tribal drumming constantly pounding away as if he's trying to rip his Drum skins to pieces. All of this is clear on 'Pop Song 2006', where the 'band' themself (Andy, Bjorn, Carl) shine through brightly whilst Johnny uses the track as an ego ramp.
After Geldof's shock appearence on 'Can't Stop . . ' Alt-Folkster Ryan Adams gets in on the act on the Country Pop strum-along of 'Kirby's House'. Just kidding of course, Mr. Adams is far too busy releasing 27 albums at the moment so instead we just get Johnny pretending to Ryan Adams with . . .surprise! surprise! . . poor results. Despite the slight change in musical direction 'Kirby's House' does nothing to save 'Razorlight'. It's still got that boring, uninspired, rushed feeling to it that makes it pretty impossible to love feeling written all over it.
Final track 'Los Angeles Waltz' despite being another self-centered Borrell moanfest is easily the strongest song on the whole record. It's the moment the band manage to finally reach their Stadium Rock goal. The track swells and fades before burning away into a rather enjoyable finale of pounding drums and edgy Guitars. Although, lyrically it's one of the most downbeat songs of the whole album thanks to lines such as
''I've being talking to myself, trying to shake that sinking feeling, wishing I was somebody else''. It is rather depressing but then again after a whole album's worth of the stuff you do get pretty use to it. After nine tracks of constant bull*** 'Razorlight' finally delievers the goods. If only they would repeated the 'Los Angeles Waltz' recipe for their next album eh?. . .
Overall:
There's not one single song on here that comes close to scaling the dizzy heights of 'Golden Touch'. The days of writting short, spikey Rock n' roll songs to play in front of 12 teenage girls at the Camden Barfly on a cold, damp Tuesday night are long gone for Razorlight. Now it's all spineless Radio 2-friendly Dinner party music that has more in common with the likes of James Blunt and Sting then The Libertines and Arctic Monkeys. There's nothing here to love, everything here is so bland and unspiried that it just passes by easily and doesn't leave a single trace of greatness. Avoid at all costs.
1.6/5
Note to self: Never trust Q magazine again
Download
Los Angeles Waltz
In The Morning
Pros
+ 'Los Angeles Waltz'
+ The musicianship has improved
+ Um . . . . it was only £8.49
Cons
- One of the most boring records you're ever likely to hear (fact!)
- Rather average lyrics for a self-proclaimed ''Genius''
- Uninspired
Thanks for reading - Horrorshow34
