Another Album Review
In a millennium with rawness of sound, low fidelity and punk rock throwbacks, The View emerges with its first full-length album, Hats Off To The Buskers.
This promising debut is a step up in quality from last year’s similar indie offerings, capturing the wild energy of Wolfmother and the Brit-pop influence of the Arctic Monkeys, and creating a far better album than the ones by either of those two. What makes Hats Off a success is its ska-geared variety, allowing each track to sound remarkably and refreshingly distinct.
The Scottish rockers showcase their energy in every song, from the incredibly accented “Coming Down” and the mosh-worthy and infectiously fun “Skag Trendy” to the humbled, acoustic “Face for the Radio.” The View has an incredible knack for making genuinely enjoyable, lively and fresh songs that make you want to get up and jump around.
The album is kept sharp and sweet by its curt 44-minute length and refined guitar riffs in the foreground. “The Don” is a perfect example, constantly switching up the riffs, blending what could have otherwise been three boring songs. However, the real standout track here is “Skag Trendy”; Falconer reaches every octave on the musical scale in this hip-hop/ska/punk hybrid that once again takes smooth 90-degree turns in style more than once.
Unsurprisingly, the diversity of Hats Off is also what keeps its great fun from being a great album. Its sound is one of a band that doesn’t know its own sound yet, though the rockers certainly have amazing chemistry and range. With a little more exposure and refinement, The View could move from its bar-playing status to something much, much bigger—and Hats Off is the best first step toward that.
By Michael Fraiman, cinemablend.com 20/1/07
This promising debut is a step up in quality from last year’s similar indie offerings, capturing the wild energy of Wolfmother and the Brit-pop influence of the Arctic Monkeys, and creating a far better album than the ones by either of those two. What makes Hats Off a success is its ska-geared variety, allowing each track to sound remarkably and refreshingly distinct.
The Scottish rockers showcase their energy in every song, from the incredibly accented “Coming Down” and the mosh-worthy and infectiously fun “Skag Trendy” to the humbled, acoustic “Face for the Radio.” The View has an incredible knack for making genuinely enjoyable, lively and fresh songs that make you want to get up and jump around.
The album is kept sharp and sweet by its curt 44-minute length and refined guitar riffs in the foreground. “The Don” is a perfect example, constantly switching up the riffs, blending what could have otherwise been three boring songs. However, the real standout track here is “Skag Trendy”; Falconer reaches every octave on the musical scale in this hip-hop/ska/punk hybrid that once again takes smooth 90-degree turns in style more than once.
Unsurprisingly, the diversity of Hats Off is also what keeps its great fun from being a great album. Its sound is one of a band that doesn’t know its own sound yet, though the rockers certainly have amazing chemistry and range. With a little more exposure and refinement, The View could move from its bar-playing status to something much, much bigger—and Hats Off is the best first step toward that.
By Michael Fraiman, cinemablend.com 20/1/07
posted by theviewareonfire at 9:48 am
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