A thread for The Rakes

album has leaked and is pretty good overall, but when it's really good (eg the three singles) it's aces.

Erm...

That must be the problem.

braindead consumers + too much money + unshakable addiction to buying + near zero sales resistance + simple mechanism to easily acquire merchandise = BIG FUCKING PAYOFF FOR CON ARTISTS, UNSCRUPULOUS HUCKSTERS, AMORAL JUNK PEDDLERS

I know it, not just think.

Poor Rakes get little love around here. I saw them a couple summers ago at Double Door in Chicago and they were wonderful. Like post-debut Maxïmo Park, Futureheads and Franz Ferdinand albums, they especially have trouble making impact in the U.S., though most shows seem to sell out in the UK. But the songs really have staying power and have even grown on me over time, including Ten New Messages. Closest comparison I can think of in songwriting, but not sound, would be the last couple Pulp albums. The new one, Klang! is short but excellent, certainly kicks the sh*t out of something like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. http://mog.com/fastnbulbous/blog/1247904

Reviews:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/9z4h/
http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/the-rakes-klang
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/19/popandrock

their debut is great, the last one was awful like lots of those bands' second albums

Last one was actually good! The songs were just...hmm, more modest? Less hooky? And too produced. But I like Klang! a lot. It's a short, sharp messy little record, with some great lyrics. Fast too.

I loved the first one and like what I've heard from the newest as well.

Yeah I don't know in what universe you could call the soph albums from any of those bands "awful." They may be less frenetic, bushytailed and fashionable in comparison, but they're great in more subtle ways, just like later albums from Magazine, The Jam, Buzzcocks, Madness, Gang Of Four, Undertones, Killing Joke, etc.

'Klang' is better than 'Ten New Messages': punchier, more direct, funnier, though I miss the hits. There are no such songs here like 'Retreat' or '22 Grand Job', but still a step in the right direction. 'Bitchin' In The Kitchen' is my favourite, and the piano tracks are good too ('The Woes Of The Working Woman' and 'Muller's Ratchet'.

the second rakes album, second futureheads album and much of the second maximo park album border on awful and pointless. maximo is the only one id even imagine listening to at this point in my life

Second Futureheads and Maximo Park was not that bad, the Rakes' and Art Brut's second was a disappointment however. Don't mention the second Bloc Party, which was beyond awful. Perhaps this topic worthy of a poll. Hm.

i love a weekend in the city but then again i liked silent alarm the most of the debuts anyway. i don't categorize art brut in this group, they seemed to be more of a US band to me really

Yeah, Art Brut is more successful in the US, however I've always felt some kind of similarity between the Rakes and them: funny and realistic lyrics about modern life is still rubbish, a touch of '77 punk in the music (OK, the Rakes a bit more 'angular'), sharp and short songs. Perhaps I'm wrong.

yeah i never really but them together cuz art brut is so wink wink cheeky FUN and rakes are so dead seriously dreary, but yeah sonically they aren't that far off

Futureheads 2nd netter than the 3rd. And the first, in fact. A dark horse, and quite beautiful.

i've tried revisiting ten new messages a couple of times but it just doesn't get there for me... we danced together is a good tune but the rest is in one ear and out the other. another song as the level of 'work work work pub club sleep' would have me back in a flash, that song is fantastic (and the production is awesome too)

yeah that song is really incredible

don't skip "little superstitions" off ten new messages. can never get enough of that.

Can we talk about how comically awful "Suspicious Eyes" was? OMG that song.

lol is that the song about tom cruise?

It's the one about racism/terrorism where different people sing as characters and it contains omgseriously? lyrics such as this gem:

These people are assuming who I am, but they're wrong
Got a beard and a bag so they think I got a bomb
I saw everyones reaction soon as I stepped through the door
All acting like they've never seen a brown person before

I thought it was a joke when I first heard it and part of me still really hopes that it is. It's just such a bad idea.

lol the rakes with a grime rapper

BBC reviews are just...BC reviews, but still, a good one:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/9z4h

Hmm, I might become the one man cheerleading squad.

And yeah, suspicious eyes. Even the name is awful.

That was a good review. There are others who like this one:

http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/the-rakes-klang
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/19/popandrock

And no one discovered the sad end: http://www.nme.com/news/the-rakes/47980

They're looking for 22 grand jobs now.

a shame, but the drop off in quality between the first and second albums was way too big for me

xpost loool