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I like Coldplay. I like Athlete too. I also enjoy a bit of Snow Patrol. When I see reviews that lump these together with other modern, softly-spoken indie bands and dismiss them as boring, depressing or clean-cut, I get pretty irritated. I think it's lazy to review by saying "This sounds like... [fill the blank]" because this usually mean the reviewer forgot to actually listen to the music. And that's just silly.
These bands use similar ideas and strike a similar tone that happens to be popular with the masses, but there's far more to them than that! I mean, imagine...
Read More I like Coldplay. I like Athlete too. I also enjoy a bit of Snow Patrol. When I see reviews that lump these together with other modern, softly-spoken indie bands and dismiss them as boring, depressing or clean-cut, I get pretty irritated. I think it's lazy to review by saying "This sounds like... [fill the blank]" because this usually mean the reviewer forgot to actually listen to the music. And that's just silly.
These bands use similar ideas and strike a similar tone that happens to be popular with the masses, but there's far more to them than that! I mean, imagine a band making an album that intentionally sounded like several other popular bands and not much else... Oh, here's one now!
We Shot The Moon seem to be a talented band. Their previous album, 'Fear and Love', was piano led rocky pop that I quite enjoyed. There were glimmers of something there; this was a great band in its infancy. I don't really understand what has happened since then; this album should take that infancy to childhood, but if that's the case, where is the sense of fun, enthusiasm and interest that I remember?
This album sounds alright. It has pretty good songs. It has the right formula for a reasonable album. But it seems to lack soul and character.
It lacks imagination: the band's interesting aspects seem to have been put aside for a mixture of sounds that make them sound one minute like a Coldplay-ish band, then Switchfoot, then U2, then Blink 182, then Athlete. Strangely, these sounds don't mix to produce a new, interesting sound. Instead, it sounds like a band playing a Coldplay song, then a Switchfoot song... This leaves the album sounding disjointed and reminds you that nobody plays Coldplay like, erm, Coldplay.
It lacks interest: lyrically, much of the album sounds sentimental. It sounds like somebody attempting rawness, but achieving something a bit embarrassing. One song called 'Amy' begins: "Amy would you be there for me/If I told you all my secrets/Would you care or be scared?"
It lacks a story or completeness: the disjointed sounds of the songs, along with the general idea that this doesn't really go anywhere leaves me disappointed at the end of the album. Music should do something or say something, but this doesn't seem to.
Over-all, as I said before, the album has a formula that might well mean success. There are some interesting songs here and the musicianship is accomplished. But, for a band that we know has potential for greatness, this seems to be more of a distraction from that greatness, rather than part of it.
Review by Jon Piper
LTTM Rating 2 out of 5 Stars
Standout Tracks
Silver Lining
Bright Side
Red Night
