Lostprophets
Start Something

THE REVIEW

U2, Coldplay, Oasis, Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Blur, just to name a few. In recent years, Great Britain has been one of the main proponents of alternative rock, brit-pop, and more. Even punk metal made in the UK has achieved positive results, appreciated by both critics and fans. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Funeral For A Friend and especially about Lostprophets.
This band, formed in Wales, is climbing the charts in Europe and the U.S.A. with "Liberation Transmission". Many of you might get chills just hearing about it, their latest effort leaves much to be desired, but the career of this quintet has seen revolutionary changes. The new "Liberation Transmission" is just the latest part of an involution process as well as a self-destructive one that has brought more money into the pockets of Ian Watkins and company, but also many, many more criticisms from old fans and a lot of antipathy.

"Start Something" comes out in 2004, it is the crossroads between the extreme "The Fake Sound Of Progress" and the commercial "Liberation Transmission". 13 tracks, different styles, a complex journey and a little difficult to understand at the end of the first listen, a journey that starts from the past (some tracks are mostly screams and punk metal chords), goes through the present, with a door open to the future (Sway is a pop ballad, a preview of what would happen two years later).
In the first few minutes, the small Cardiff seems to stray from the tranquil Wales, appearing as a city on the American west coast. It's surprising how this typically star-spangled way of playing instead comes from a suburb of the Welsh capital. The only detail bringing the band back to full British style is the lack of "explicit lyrics".
After an adrenaline injection with "the ride to hell" (To Hell We Ride), the third track "Last Train Home", the first single from the album, lacks aggressiveness, but is melodically high level, a track that was very useful in 2004 as an introduction to those unfamiliar with the band.
Despite this, the band decides not to release the video at TRL America, to not undermine their credibility in the States. The album will proceed with ups and downs, not in quality, but in sound; from the extreme "Burn Burn", to the more gentle, romantic, passionate, and introverted "Hello Again".
After this mix of different sounds, "We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan" arrives, over four minutes of song, over three minutes of screams and sudden and original speed changes.
All seasoned with an excellent job on the drums by Mike Chiplin, founding member of the band and moral inspirer of the "hard line" that the band had decided to pursue at the start of their career (the new drummer doesn't hold a candle to him, not even as a joke), it is certainly one of the most beautiful pieces live. The closure is "Sway", as already specified, a door open to that change that no one liked, not to myself, nor to their very first fans, who had already harshly criticized the second edition of "The Fake Sound Of Progress", because it was deemed too commercial.

This LP remains the group's best work, maybe one day they will change their mind, return to their roots, go back to making good music and getting drunk in British pubs, but facing reality, if they look at their bank account, they will continue to be the bad cousins of Blue. Mike Chiplin's departure is mainly attributed to this unrestrained desire for popularity that has led the group down the path of power-pop.
Not only U2 and Depeche Mode and Skunk Anansie; Duncan James, Sugababes, and now also the new, glossy Lostprophets; Great Britain is this too.

The album would be a 4 and a half, 5 in honor of the old "Lost"-prophets.