Razorlight

Razorlight's debut album, Up All Night, went platinum in the U.K., but went pretty much unheard in the States. The band most likely suffered from being at the tail end of a long line of garage-rock revivalists (The Strokes, The Vines, The Libertines) and frankly having the worst band name of the lot. But I still contend that Razorlight is the best of the bunch and ultimately will be around the longest. Having said all that, I'm slightly disappointed by their eponymous sophomore effort. It's a much slicker and sober release that lacks the shambolic beauty of their last album.

That's not to say that it's without its charms. In fact, this album has two extremely strong singles begging for Top 40 placement. "America" (which I can only assume is going to be the next single) is the obligatory "hold your lighter up" song. Johnny Borrell sings how his whole life has been about watching the panic in America. It's sung without judgment or criticism and could grab the ears of rock and pop lovers on both sides of the pond. And the first single, "In The Morning," should be blasting from every dorm room this fall. The album's first half is virtually flawless and begs repeating. Chris Thomas' production on "Who Needs Love" and "Hold On" is exquisite and somehow got this group of rowdy rockers to sound like Motown via Springsteen... without completing sucking the venom out of them.

But I miss some of that venom from their debut. The songs mentioned above are tracks 1-4. The other six tunes are solid and the album is without slack, but I didn't find anything beyond the first four songs compelling enough to come back to. Are four well-produced, bound-to-be-rock-anthem-classics worth the price of the whole CD? Absolutely. And this is ultimately going to age very well for Razorlight as they become arena rock gods in the years to come. - Doug Kamin

Picking up where they left off with 2004's platinum-selling Up All Night, London's Razorlight pack a solid alt rock punch on their self-titled sophomore effort. Johnny Borrell (vocals/guitar) Björn Åquen (guitar), Carl Dalemo (bass), and Andy Burrows (drums) join producer Chris E. Thomas (the Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music) for these 12 tracks, and together they've turned Razorlight's party rock sound into something more playful and sharp. Razorlight will no longer tolerate being lumped in with the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol, and Keane, for the ambitious quartet combines elements of '60s pop, Motown, and Brit-pop for an overall clean performance. Vibrant harmonies, bright, lively musicianship and Borrell's Neil Finn-like vocals carry the weight of Razorlight, and songs such as "Hold On," "In the Morning," and "Pop Song 2006" highlight Razorlight's youthful, carefree presence. What makes Razorlight a personable band is that they find the balance between sincerity and seriousness. They make honest indie rock for those looking for a solid, good song. There's no frills, no fancy production, just the purity of these songs. That combination, however, might be a bit monotonous for those looking for their next fix of Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide