"Don't trust anyone over thirty," the 1960s maxim goes, and hand in hand with the phrase is often "Don't listen to anything released after the rise of Disco." Well, score one for our generation, because the latest British export is sure to please quite a few classic rock purists. Although rather pretentiously named, The Music have released a stunning debut that deserves to be grouped with albums by other "The" bands such as The Who, The Kinks and The Doors rather than those by The Hives, The Vines, The Donnas and The Other Such Trendy Groups. While the supposed revival movement led by The Strokes (bless their precious little polyester-clad hearts) has left us wondering "Is this it?" The Music's jaw-dropping self-titled debut is the real McCoy, poised and ready to go Mortal Kombat on us the moment we let down our guard.
Start with your beloved Led Zeppelin. Now enlist Brian Eno as producer; and, space-time continuum be damned, give Bonham a little stint with the Crystal Method. Bring in Geddy Lee on vocals every once in a while and make him sing scat, and you'll be getting pretty close to the sound of The Music. This record only eases up on the Zeppelin tributes in order to make way for heavy U2 influences, and most of the time it strikes a marvelous balance between the two.
It's not even that they have successfully copped a classic rock vibe during such a drought as this, though. The Music bring with them a tasteful modern touch -- a distinguishing characteristic that turns the album into one of the most promising debuts in recent memory. While quenching your thirst for classic rock, it also appeals to the visionary in you, employing glistening sonic textures that tower above the simplistic power chords and make full use of all of your CD player's 44,100 kilohertz.
Vocalist Robert Harvey is a capable frontman, wailing appropriately without crossing the line into quasi-operatic over-exuberance. The singing isn't exactly passionate, but it is extremely confident -- many of his lyrical experiments succeed against seemingly impossible odds, and it's hard to question his abilities when he's pulling off lines like these. In Harvey's hands the already nonsensical hook to "The Truth Is No Words" turns into absolute gibberish, becoming "The the the the the / Truth truth truth truth truth / Is is is no words." His vocals were obviously subjected to inferior recording techniques, giving them a trashy, trebly tone that furthers the vintage theme. Guitarist Adam Nutter complicates matters by layering multiple rhythm parts and habitually milking his echo effects for all they are worth. The two mesh spectacularly well on "Getaway," "The Dance" and the superbly titled "Take the Long Road and Walk It."
The Music also have made some changes regarding percussion, forgoing the frenzied thunderstorms of Zeppelin skinsmith John Bonham in favor of a sleeker, more futuristic feel. Drummer Phil Jordan is nowhere near as dynamic as Bonham, so his contributions come out very smooth and even, giving parts of the disc a distinctly techno feel despite the traditional four-piece instrumentation. There are a few furious passages, but it sounds as though the drums were deliberately tamed during the mixing process, in keeping with the electronic theme.
Apparently, the Brits have been enjoying this music for the past six months and didn't want to share. Prior to the Sept. 2 UK release date, The Music had amassed a metric ton of industry buzz and released a successful string of no less than five EPs, each of which was spearheaded by a different track from the forthcoming album. The B-sides all are available on the band's Web site, and, bastion of journalistic dedication that I am, I checked them out. Yes, folks, every last bit of their music is this good. One track simply titled "New Instrumental" seems to be a live improvisation judging from the performance notes provided. It's still killer, as are studio affairs like "Karma," "Dragon Song" and "Raindance."
For an entrance like this, The Music deserve the full five stars and then one to grow on. Unfortunately, we're limited by the rating system here. This is exceptional, groundbreaking classic rock that just doesn't happen to be classic...yet.
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