The Cooper Temple Clause-Make This Your Own
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16 February, 2007 08:00
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Reading noise terrorists lose bassist and edge? I was predicting big things from this album, especially after the amazing "Kick Up the Fire and Let the Flames Break Loose" and being very impressed by the 1st 2 songs i heard from the album "Damage" & "Homo Sapiens". But, after hearing the new album through a few times something is missing, something dangerous! Yeah, that's right, dangerous. There's nothing on Make This Your Own that can rival "Been Training Dogs" for sheer intensity, and Ben Gautrey's vocal rasp has been cut right back, in fact, they've gone a bit, dare I say it? Snow Patrol with hints of the 80's thrown into the mix.
Even when the non-linear funk-rocker "Damage" kicks off the album in full-blooded style, there's still a sense of overproduction marring proceedings. Many tracks stray too far into power ballad territory, particularly "Waiting Game" and the Keane-esque closer "House of Cards", which only redeems itself slightly with the addition of nice overlapping vocals and horns.
Elsewhere, "Head" and "Isn't It Strange" are brave attempts at burbling electro that falter somewhat with their rather cliched and listless lyrics, and "Take Comfort" sounds a bit like "Pass It On" by The Coral. To say this album was a shock to this reviewer would be an understatement quite frankly. But, it's not without it's charms, "Homo Sapiens" has the Bends-era Radiohead crossed with Oasis sound that they're known for and that they're good at, and "Once More With Feeling" is a ridiculous, bizarre, brilliant mini-epic that sounds like "Paranoid Android" condensed into three minutes. Also, "Connect" is a decent slice of Delays style indie disco.
The Cooper Temple Clause have always been an experimental band, but with this album, it sounds like their experiments have led them into a rather weird territory, and they come out of it at times sounding like a vaguely electro 10cc. Maybe the genius of this new sound will hit me six months down the line, and I will change my opinion and proclaim them the best thing to happen to music since Lennon met McCartney, but i doubt it. I will give this album a very cautious thumbs up, and regret that it is probably their poorest effort to date.
The Cooper Temple Clause have well and truly entered the Twilight Zone, lets hope they come back.
Barely..... RRR
Even when the non-linear funk-rocker "Damage" kicks off the album in full-blooded style, there's still a sense of overproduction marring proceedings. Many tracks stray too far into power ballad territory, particularly "Waiting Game" and the Keane-esque closer "House of Cards", which only redeems itself slightly with the addition of nice overlapping vocals and horns.
Elsewhere, "Head" and "Isn't It Strange" are brave attempts at burbling electro that falter somewhat with their rather cliched and listless lyrics, and "Take Comfort" sounds a bit like "Pass It On" by The Coral. To say this album was a shock to this reviewer would be an understatement quite frankly. But, it's not without it's charms, "Homo Sapiens" has the Bends-era Radiohead crossed with Oasis sound that they're known for and that they're good at, and "Once More With Feeling" is a ridiculous, bizarre, brilliant mini-epic that sounds like "Paranoid Android" condensed into three minutes. Also, "Connect" is a decent slice of Delays style indie disco.
The Cooper Temple Clause have always been an experimental band, but with this album, it sounds like their experiments have led them into a rather weird territory, and they come out of it at times sounding like a vaguely electro 10cc. Maybe the genius of this new sound will hit me six months down the line, and I will change my opinion and proclaim them the best thing to happen to music since Lennon met McCartney, but i doubt it. I will give this album a very cautious thumbs up, and regret that it is probably their poorest effort to date.
The Cooper Temple Clause have well and truly entered the Twilight Zone, lets hope they come back.
Barely..... RRR
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