Hard-Fi
Stars of CCTV

THE REVIEW

What a revelation this group formed in Staines in 2003 and debuting with the album that I will review today, dated 2005, "Stars Of CCTV".

Awaiting their third album (notoriously either a launchpad or an artistic grave for any artist, if the second record disappointed, in this case, Hard-Fi did) set to release next year, the band in question debuted in the musically distant 2005 with this CD that showcases all the potential of the group, unfortunately burnt out in the eagerly awaited second album "Once Upon A Time In The West", released in August 2007 (an album that truth be told, indicates some flashes of brilliance like Suburban Knights above all, Can't Get Along and Tonight) which I might tell you about some time in the future.

But now let's move on to the subject at hand:

As said, "Stars Of CCTV" was released in 2005, undoubtedly a lucky year for Hard-Fi, considering that at the time the English music market was not producing anything colossal and was rather sterile (the only notable records being "You Could Have It So Much Better" by Franz Ferdinand, "Down In Albion", debut album by Babyshambles of uncle Pete, and "Employment" by Kaiser Chiefs, a band originating from Leeds), and thus given the success of the product, Richard Archer's eclectic band managed to achieve that long-awaited success. It's important to know that the Hard-Fi have a rather troubled and unfortunate history: originating from Staines, a suburb of London devoid of any attraction, near Heathrow Airport, a place, according to Hard-Fi themselves, "forgotten by God", being poor in any services essential for a minimally dignified standard of living, and lacking any meeting or entertainment point. And the desire to escape this place is present in almost all the songs on this album; an album that opens with the lead single and brilliant opening track, "Cash Machine", a little bit "Clash", a little bit "Oasis", which already gives the listener a clear outline of that musical line that Hard-Fi wants to impart to their product: an energetic product that goes straight to the heart of the audience, with ingenious lyrics, a driving rhythm, and spectacular vocals (alas, dreadful live, although improved over recent years). With "Cash Machine" the message launched by the frontman Richard Archer is clear, a venting concerning often finding oneself without money and with a bank account that is decidedly unsatisfactory. With a breathtaking bassline, it’s already clear that the purchase we made was not a mistake. Indeed, landing on the second track, "Middle Eastern Holiday", the impression is already there that the group's brilliance is beginning to take shape, and in this song, it is very clear who most influenced Hard-Fi, namely the Clash, imitating that energy and style long dead and buried.

With "Middle Eastern Holiday" Richard Archer expresses all his desire to go on vacation, to leave everything and go with friends. By the time the third song arrives, a semi-masterpiece "Tied Up Too Tight", with its cutting energy and frantic rhythm, is a great piece. By the fourth track, "Gotta Reason", we realize that the album flies by quickly, with those typical Clash sounds mixed with the latest from Blur for a short but energetic and powerful ballad, then landing on the more pop Hard To Beat, a song that would make even paraplegics move their butts. If with "Unnecessary Trouble" we reach the point where nothing is added to the album (this last song in my opinion could have easily been used as a b-side, as it is bland and useless), with "Move On Now"our heart turns to ice, and our soul is completely captivated by the piano alone and the whispered voice of Richard Archer, reminiscing about the good times with a loved one and urging her to move, not to miss the opportunity: try to imagine a party with friends outside the city in a little house in the fog and you are desperately alone outside the house thinking about melancholy and the speed with which good moments pass, you get "Move On Now", desperate and suicidal, chilling and destructive ("Baby, Baby, I think it’s time We move on now/Don't You think it’s quite around here, don’t You think there’s no much to do here, thinking back to this time last year, good times good times good times").

With "Better Do Better", the second love song on the album, the vein is decidedly contrary to that of "Move On Now": while the first had all the characteristics of a song containing impossible intentions and impotent attempts to rise again, with "Better Do Better" Richard gives vent to all the anger for the betrayal and falsity of his girlfriend ("You’re back sittin’ on my door step, oh yeah like nothing happened, tell me that you’re free and, oh oh, can you see me again?/ I could not eat for days, I cried so much my face/ Now you’re back with your lies/ Your face, makes me wanna be sick/ Oh, how I ever loved you""). The album proceeds to one of the best songs on the album, Feltham Is Singing Out, which talks about a real boy, suicidal because he was in jail for drug dealing ("You loved to watch the sky"). Arriving at Living For The Weekend we again touch upon the social issues of the band, narrating how enjoyable it is to reach the weekend and finally be free from hard work and all societal constraints, despite their position in Staines, a place absolutely far from any kind of attraction and entertainment: note how the themes taken up by Hard-Fi are so close to our situations, of simple students/workers, having love problems, longing to escape this sick society, envy towards those who are luckier and live life as maintained individuals.

The album ends with the grand "Stars Of CCTV", another societal critique, as "we are all stars of televisions, but of those that control us with closed-circuit camera systems without our knowledge" (which the cover will also depict, which I find absolutely brilliant). In short, a really well-made, varied, angry, and high-level CD, Hard-Fi proves to be a cut above the general rabble of British indie rock bands, mixing punk, ska, and dance and utilizing excellent lyrics, for me even reductive to call them excellent, by Richard Archer, who had been trying since 1997, and finally, in 2005 he succeeded. Right after them, however, the Arctic Monkeys exploded, completely overshadowing the Staines band, which will nonetheless try again in a few months with the third album, after the bland "Once Upon A Time In The West". Let’s hope for a brilliant return, to confirm the undoubted qualities and potential.