Razorlight
Up All Night

THE REVIEW

At first, I wasn't really fond of Razorlight; in fact, I'll be honest and say that I actually found them a bit irritating. I considered them too bland, flavorless, "good" at composing little pop tunes without real bite and conviction, almost just to sell records. Compositions like "America", "Before I Fall To Pieces", "I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got" didn't shine a good light on the band in my eyes (except for a few appreciable songs like "In The Morning", "Wire To Wire", "Hold On"). Sure, the albums "Razorlight" and "Slipway Fires" confirmed my opinions about the band led by Johnny Borrell, a charismatic and pompous light version of Pete Doherty (with an eternally hateful relationship between the two): mediocre albums with few good ideas.

Yet, never having listened to their first album, I decided to give a light and unpretentious listen to the first record by the Anglo-Swedish group: it was a revelation. The CD in question, "Up All Night", turns out to be a good album, if not very good, which many here might find exaggerated. A decisive and energetic rock-pop that demonstrates itself as easily listenable and accessible to all, whether they're used to pop trash or often have harder rock (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, etc.; obviously without invoking the sacred) in their ears. Johnny Borrell (famous for his relationship with the stunning Kirsten Dunst, aka Mary-Jane of Spiderman) has never been well-regarded by critics, too arrogant, boastful, and unpleasant (his famous quote "As a songwriter, I am better than Bob Dylan"), but on this album, and indeed with the following two works, he proves himself to be an adept lyricist, as well as a decent musician and assembler of various melodies, so much so that his presumption of being a new leader of English rock can be partly justified.

This album really surprised me, with its meticulously crafted production and truly well-played sound, where the bass and drums (drummer Andy Burrows is formidable) are never predictable. "Leave Me Alone" opens the record with that piano beginning and then the distorted guitar launching the first truly delightful track followed by "Rock'n'Roll Lies", with scratched and rough vocals and a significant drum part. "Vice" echoes the first two tracks, maintaining the album's very rock'n'roll identity so far, before yielding to the title track "Up All Night", in my opinion, the best of the album, relaxed, tranquil, accompanied by the relentless beating of the drums and Borrell's desolate and melancholic voice.

With "Which Way Is Out" we traverse the same sounds as the first tracks, not taking anything away from what's been done well so far, while the leading single "Rip It Up" has everything one asks for in a modern indie rock hit: a staggering rhythm, energy, and incredibly dancefloor, for two and a half minutes of pure, unpretentious, catchy pop-rock that flies by. With "Don't Look Back To Dalston" and "Golden Touch" we revisit the same sounds found in the first part of the album, only to reach the small masterpiece of the record, "Stumble And Fall", a truly, truly commendable track. The album concludes with the anonymous "Get It Go", the energetic "In The City" and "To The Sea" (Borrell's voice is gigantic in this last song) and the more relaxed and melancholic "Fall Fall Fall".

In conclusion, an album particularly worthy of appreciation, which in its simplicity stands out from many other debut albums by today's English rock bands. Beautiful lyrics, surprising guitar solos, and a scratched yet frighteningly hypnotic and compelling voice. It's a shame the band got ruined with the second album (which still merits a pass) and with the third (they wanted to be experimental but only produced an empty album without guiding songs).