Razorlight

If you’ve heard any of Razorlight's self-aggrandizing publicity, you know that they believe they’re destined to take over the world. And you know what? They just might.

Razorlight plays rock ‘n' roll music. Remember rock ‘n' roll? It’s fast, loud, raw and fueled by a booze-induced bravado. Let’s just get the quick and appropriate comparisons to the rock canon out of the way - Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, Television, Iggy Pop, etc.

With Johnny Borrell’s Jagger swagger and Lou Reed vocal stylings, he’s sure to grab all the attention. But this isn’t a singer and backing band; every member of Razorlight pulls his weight. Their songs are raw, powerful and inspiring, and nearly all of them are potential hit singles. It’s the kind of album that could make a teenager fall in love with rock music for the first time. “Rock 'n' Roll Lies,” “Up All Night,” “Rip It Up,” “Stumble and Fall" - the titles alone make up the set list for a night at a stadium rock show in 1975. “Vice” and “In the City” are reminiscent of the original rock shout anthem, Them’s “Gloria.”

Some might say that Razorlight missed the rock revival of a few years ago, with bands like The Strokes, The Vines and The Libertines beating them to the punch. But I’d say that Razorlight is cockily and fashionably late. They know they have timeless rock classics on their hands, and they just waited for the bluffers to show their cards first. - Doug Kamin

There must be a healthy middle when it comes to capturing the essence of Brit-pop. Something in between the impenetrable swagger of Liam and Noel Gallagher and the vacuous and hollow bravado of Jet that can both pay homage to big riffs and bad attitude, yet still maintain a unique personality, which is what made the rock gods of yesteryear so endearing. Razorlight mastermind, lead singer/guitarist Johnny Borrell wants so desperately to be the next Joe Strummer or Lou Reed, and for what Razorlight's first album lacks in identity, it gathers momentum on effort and sheer will. It's the same, albeit slightly worse, garage rock revival record that's been all too common in the early 2000s, but quick, aggressive tracks such as "Vice," "Rip It Up," "Golden Touch" and "Stumble and Fall" are undeniably catchy and Borrell himself is largely responsible for playing them as if he really were the next Freddie Mercury. He wails and passionately groans over some horribly vapid vocals, "hey girl/get on the dancefloor/rip it up, yeah/that's what it's there for" (on "Rip It Up") but even a bad cover version of your favorite Strokes-type song can still appeal to the less cynical part of your brain. Even John Cornfield and Borrell's production seems like a shoddy attempt to re-create the frontman's favorite records note for note. His desire to add a layer of grime by muddying up the louder moments (such as on "Don't Go Back to Dalston," which starts off quietly before careening into a bloated call and response conclusion) doesn't remove the feeling that the entire recording process was extremely sterile. At this stage, Borrell lacks the confidence to move beyond his idols, and his energetic music remains a game of spot the influence. ~ Erik Leijon, All Music Guide