Synchronically of the moment, Razorlight offer the full, garage art-rock package – pick-axe guitars, taut snare-drum smacks, and shaky vox. The distinctly British retro sound, the ‘cool’ economy boho look, all with a frontman who has the same sexual allure as your mate’s big brother studying at the Slade.
In this prestigious, jazzy London hideout, the 100 Club becomes host to a clutch full of intense blazer-clad fans that have grasped onto the hype of recently released singles ‘Rip It Up’ (a top-40 hit this weekend…?) and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Lies’. Two-thirds of this crammed room, however, sighs with industry movers ‘n’ fakers. This is crunch-time for Razorlight – and they’re shattering walnuts everywhere.
Despite the lukewarm beer and, how can we say… bemusing facial-expressions of guitarist Bjorn Agren, The Raveonettes support-slots seem to have paid off. The foursome is tight, immediate and, more importantly – ready.
Almost a lighter-hearted, more universally pop-offering to the world than Borrell’s former comrades The Libertines, songs wrestle and sweat buckets. With past musical histories (drummer Christian Smith-Pancorvo once a part of Stony Sleep), Razorlight apparently observed and commentated on the London scene; ‘the fake culture, the febrile women and the tension of the big city’. With their contrasting offering of American, English and er… Swedish influences/cultural backgrounds, they made their music: reflecting their four different personalities and experiences… how novel.
Yet their sound isn’t anything really new. Their songs do result in a crowd of ‘shaking asses’ and ‘indie-stomps’ to the kick-drum but Razorlight set their eyes on a bigger prize than that. By rights, they could some day be playing the same-scale venues as their Rough Trade counterparts. But at this point in time, thrillingly, it’s still early days.
Samantha Hall