Rating: NNN
With the garage rock revival well past its a) initial boom, b) awkward adolescence and c) commercial apex, it’s puzzling that Razorlight managed to become the latest NME buzz band with a sound most have pegged for dead for over a year. With veteran producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Morrissey) sitting behind the desk, this album takes the Strokes’ hard-on for Lou Reed, jacks it up a notch via the Libertines’ riotous carousing and tops it with the hasty vocal delivery of an over-caffeinated Jarvis Cocker. While the spazzy dynamics and hyper fatalisms might not excite like they did way back in 2001, at least Razorlight’s tunes are good. Razorlight do Lee’s Palace tonight (Thursday, November 4).
