Razorlight - Up All Night

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 23 / 7 / 2004

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I have been a fan of Razorlight since I saw them open up for my beloved Raveonettes. Since then lead vocalist, Johnny Borrell,has sadly become the new Peter Doherty, but without being as f**ked up. I have recently purchased the debut albums by those other two indie guitar bands of the moment, the Killers and Hope of the States, but, good as they are, this just wipes the floor with both of them. At the last Razorlight gig which I attended I wasn't sure if they had more than three decent songs, but 'Up All Night' is brilliant. It is available as a single CD, an LP wth an exclusive one sided 7" , and as also a double CD with a live set thrown in of a gig at the London Mean Fiddler , which was the last ever show with their original drummer who has now quit. The gig appears on DVD. The album opens up with 'Leave Me Alone', which begins with a piano intro that is reminiscent of the Doors 'Hello, I Love You' piano intro, before some hard edged guitar kicks in, and our Johnny tells us exactly why he wants to be left alone. Next up is 'Rock 'n' Roll Lies', the band's first single, which has been long deleted and which is worth a fortune. It is exactly like Television in style. 'Vice' follows, which will be the next single and which will come out in October. It is again like Television, but also has a hint of the Libertines,whom Johnny was briefly a member of. Most of the tracks on this album start slowly then rocket to fast pace quite quickly. 'Vice', which also features some catchy new wave drums, is no exception to this rule. 'Which Way is Out' sounds like Jonathan Richman in style and vocal, and is followed by another of their singles, the spunky, punky 'Rip It Up.' 'Dalston' starts slowly and ends up sounding very messy. The recent single, Golden Touch' follows. The acoustic guitarwork that dominates it is reminiscent of the Cure's '10.15 Saturday Night', but then becomes more like Mega Rock Star's classic single, 'Number 2'. 'Stumble and Fall' is spunky, punky brilliance. 'Get It and Go' is very 70's new wave in style, but has very modern lyrics about disillusionment and suicide. 'In the City' follows and is a great songwriting based song until the end when it collapses into guitar overkill. It is something of a mess because of it. 'To the Sea' follows and sounds so much like Television that Television should sue. 'Fall, Fall, Fall' ends the album. It is soft and stripped down to the minimal of instruments and so closes one of this year's best new albums.

Track Listing:-

1 Leave Me Alone
2 Rock'n'Roll Lies (Sawmills 04)
3 Vice
4 Up All Night
5 Which Way Is Out
6 Rip It Up (Sawmills 04)
7 Don't Go Back To Dalston
8 Golden Touch (Full Length)
9 Stumble And Fall
10 Get It And Go
11 In The City (Sawmills 04)
12 To The Sea
13 Fall, Fall, Fall
14 Somewhere Else

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