Capture / Release


The Rakes are another sharp and angular British four piece that are making a bit of a splash with their debut LP Capture / Release. I had heard the Retreat EP back in October, and knew right away I would like the album. Unfortunately it is only available as an import in the US, and I haven't seen a release date yet. Unwilling to wait, I picked up a copy of the import. I dig it. They fall squarely into the Bloc/Franz/Maximo/Kaisers realm of music - fast and jittery tunes with lots of post punk flavor and big shouty choruses abound. I'm a big fan of British singers who sound like they're British, and Alan Donohoe fits the bill. I know some of you will find this stuff to be "too late to the party" - you haters can move along. I still get a kick out of this stuff. I did back when it was fresh and new in the late '70s and early '80s, and I still do today. These London lads tell amusing, true to life stories, sort of like The Streets, but obviously much harder rocking. One of their earliest singles was 22 Grand Job, a 1:46 burst of snarky satire of the 9-to-5-working-in-the-city routine. I find the guitars on this to be completely addictive, and I love Alan's sneer-y tone. Short, sharp and brilliant. A more low key approach is taken on Binary Love. It's still a propulsive, snaky, riff driven tune, but it's embellished with some nice shimmering new wave-y synths, and has a lovely melancholic feel to it's love story lyrics.