Review:

on 2011-12-27 CharlesMartel Said:

I should have known better. Whenever the New Musical Express includes anything in one of its best of lists, that is usually a surefire signal to beware and, more often than not, avoid at all costs. But as is so often the case, I did not take my own advice, borne out of long and bitter experience. I got this album, the debut from Glaswegian outfit Glasvegas, and almost immediately wished I had not. Quite apart from the awful pun which comprises the band's name (and believe me, there is nothing at all glitzy and bright and shiny about Glasgow), the music is at best poor and at times shockingly bad.

The nearest thing I can compare it to is to have you imagine what the Jonas Brothers would sound like if they grew up. Imagine, hard as it is, that the Jonas Brothers could survive long enough to take an audience with them into young adulthood. Well, they would probably sound something like Glasvegas. Every time I hear this album, or indeed any of the tracks from it, I can just imagine what I am hearing as the background music to some episode of an American TV show. "Stabbed" for "Bones" (did they credit Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" on this?); "Geraldine" for "Grey's Anatomy"; "Lonesome Swan" for "True Blood" and so the list goes on and on.

Glasvegas mark a progression from the dreadful Courteneers through to the even more dreadful White Lies as the next best thing according to NME, and follow in the footsteps of Nirvana, Oasis, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand and the like. Now the NME and others, myself included, are quick to criticise when the commercial mainstream latches onto something successful and rushes to bring out a number of copycat acts in a desperate attempt to cash in before the appeal fades. That is why, after the Spice Girls, there was a plethora of increasingly bad girl groups; and why the latest thing seems to be a succession of mildly-talented black female singers teaming up with mildly-talented black male singers to warble some dreadful pseudo hip-hop balladry. But I am also quick to criticise the same trait in indie music. And Glasvegas are nothing more than that - hype up another band of wannabes and rush out their albums to the gullible end of the record buying public to prolong the existence of the cash cow that is mainstream indie.

It is a sad and depressing fact that the most genuine and innovative indie acts in the UK never get the break. But then they never did. Instead we have to tolerate being force-fed this crap. Well, Glasvegas can be added to the same scrapheap as the rest and in future I must try harder not to buy things simply because someone on the NME said they are good.
Rating: 2/10

Review:

on 2009-04-20 tosnob Said:

The buzz surrounding Glaswegian band Glasvegas is palpable. The band is being touted all over as the next Big Thing.

The band's debut self-titled album was released in North America this week. So the question is, does the music live up to the hype?

Glasvegas' sound is a combination of wall of sound guitars and '50's inspired pop sensibilities. The press accompanying the band would have you believe that the result is a 'Jesus & Mary Chain sing doo-wop'. However, the results are far from that successful.

The guitar barrage and supporting keyboard which constitute the 'wall of sound' more often than not end up making the group sound more like a bad British Sea Power or Muse cover band than anything truly revolutionary.

Add to that the fact that the quaint charm of the puppy love lyrics wears thin very quickly. Quoting from "You Are My Sunshine" and "What's The Story Morning Glory" will have you begging for deeper lyrics like The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend".

The single "Geraldine" is a bright spot in the proceedings. The line 'My name is Geraldine, I'm your social worker' is strong enough to get you to ignore singer James Allen's strained Tim Booth impersonation and the band's infatuation with Bell X-1.

If you want '50s-influenced wall of sound music pick up The Raveonettes and skip this.

What happens in Glasvegas should stay in Glasvegas.
Rating: 4/10