 Fortunately I had the pleasure of seeing This City perform live before having actually listened to their music, and live, they were amazing. They are one of those bands that will always have the difficult task of transcending the somewhat spellbinding aura, essentially the charm that they display live, into recorded music without the stage dynamics and live band interaction that make up so much of what they are.
For me, We Were Like Sharks gets better in song quality the further it plays along, partly to do with the inclusion of more melodies in the vocals, but either way track 4 (incidentally titled, 'Romantic') took a decidedly better turn for me than the previous songs and the guitar solo within it was a sweet touch despite its simplicity. From that point onwards, the album started to really take shape into something worthwhile and substantial, with more standout tracks to follow such as 'Picture This', probably a massively commercial choice but nonetheless an instant pleaser with its rarity of a full singing verse, showcasing Chris Purrs ability to actually hold a note, thus disproving all the skeptics out there, and 'Colours', a sweeter track but still full of the trademark This City sound and vocals.
Despite initially thinking This City were ultimately just a live band, I was pleasantly surprised to find the album an actual pleasurable listen and more chilled out and accessible than one would expect. They have been likened to everything from At The Drive-In to Talking Heads (NME), but I personally think their music is almost a nod towards Rage Against the Machine (minus the politics and, er, rage) and early Beastie Boys. And so, as with fashion going from skinnies to baggies, from emo to hip hop, I predict This City, with all its emotional hardcore, will be bang on trend. For the immediate future at least.
Last edited by Heron : October 21, 2009 at 08:54 PM.
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| | | | Overall Rating | | 6 | | Vocals / Lyrics | | 6 | | Musicianship | | 7 | | Production | | 7 | | Creativity | | 5 | | Lastability | | 6 | | Reviewers Tilt | | 7 |
63% | |
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