The Rakes – 1989 (V2 Records)

After bringing out a second album which split opinion upon its release back in 2007, all eyes are now on The Rakes to see what their forthcoming ‘Klang’ LP has in store for an expectant public.

The album’s first single, ‘1989’, illustrates the band on great form, marrying up the energetic buzz of their debut with the social awareness so prevalent on ‘Ten New Messages’. Seemingly enlightened and refreshed by their prolonged spell spent living and recording in Berlin, the quartet have come up with one of their most audibly upbeat offerings in quite a while.

The track sees singer Alan Donohoe in nostalgic mood: "...the bars were full, it was summer time/Punks were hanging out in the park, while someone practised electric guitar."

The vocal story unravels against a pacy backdrop which bounces along in a similar vein to the band’s own classic ‘Strasbourg’, but this time there are additional melodies from Matthew Swinnerton’s guitar, noticeably punching their weight in the lead-up to a memorable “la-la-la” chorus.

While anyone hankering after a complete return to the politics-fuelled punk of the band’s early material may end up being a little bit underwhelmed with this release, ‘1989’ still has more than enough going for it for The Rakes to draw in new followers to the cause.

Rating: 4/5

Send this page to a friend | Gig ticket

Ticket listing and gig dates

BUY THIS MUSIC RELEASE


Artist: The Rakes Title: Klang Released: 14/04/2009 Buy Now \| View Details	Artist: The Rakes Title: Capture / Release Released: 27/09/2005 Buy Now \| View Details

RELATED CONTENT ON THE DAILY MUSIC GUIDE

05/05/2009
Music News

The Rakes announce October tour
The London lads return for a short UK tour this autumn.

07/03/2009
Reviews

The Rakes – 1989 (V2 Records)
The first taste of the Londoners’ new material from the German capital impresses considerably.

19/02/2009
Music News

The Rakes announce intimate London show
New album Klang! will be showcased at the event on 27th February 2009.

21/12/2008
Music News

The Rakes reveal details of new LP
Klang is the boys' third studio album, set for release in March 2009.

03/09/2010
Weblink

The Rakes’ official site
http://www.therakes.co.uk

03/09/2010
Weblink

The Rakes on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/therakes

03/09/2010
Weblink

The Rakes on Twitter
http://twitter.com/therakes

YOUR COMMENTS

Let everyone know what you think by leaving your comments. Please read our terms and conditions before posting.

Your Name

Location

Comments

STORY DETAILS

Published: 07/03/2009 at 08:09
Author: Charlie Ashcroft
Links: Permanent Link

Articles

Blog

MULTIMEDIA CONTENT New!

Search on Spotify

Watch Video on YouTube

CITYBREAK SPONSORS