"Once more a nation asks : Borrell – is he barmy or brilliant? Or both?
In a year that’s already brimming over with great singles – Wolfman’s ‘For Lovers’, Babyshambles ‘Babyshambles’, the Libs ‘Can’t Stand Me Know’, and that’s just Pete Doherty’s entries – it has warmed the hearts cockles to see Johnny Borrell clamber his own way up to pop’s raised podium. He may never win gold at the World Humility Championships, but having dissed Dylan, ditched a drummer and declared his intention to be both the next Dickens and De Niro this year, he surely deserves to be on some sort of dais.
The good news, then, is that if ‘Golden Touch’ was sugary enough to aggravate the cavities, then with ‘Vice’ Johnny gives up on the rattling riffs and instead serves up an epic tourbus confessional. The thought of Mark Owen spouting Kafka was always a good idea, and on ‘Vice’ Johnny appears to have cracked it.
“Sometimes you fall/Into the arms/Of no-one at all”, he croons in the verse, aware that in every second of nocturnal longing lurks the fear of heartbreak, while the band rally round frantically. But then, as anyone who has been near their dressing room lately will testify, here is a man acutely in tune with his audience. Right now Johnny could write a ballad about the misuse of bus lanes and still make it into the Top Five.
When he sighs “I heard about the stories/I guess everyone has” prior to the final crescendo, he reminds us that – like all great pop bands – Razorlight are so spectacularly suited to the medium you wonder what the comedown will sound like after ‘Up All Night’. For Borrell, it’s either spiritual rebirth and tantric torpor at Sting’s place or, as Johnny himself would doubtless point out, Hollywood.
Until then, with the Libs still in chaos, let’s celebrate Johnny’s bulletproof way with a pop hook, and get ‘Vice’ in the Top Ten while we can. Well, what are you waiting for?"
"After the startling sight of Tom Cruise applauding Razorlight on Parkinson (a similar gospel Golden Touch is on the b-side here), Razorlight continue to roar forward with a Jermain Defoe of a single. Quiet at first, it explodes without warning in the chorus to leave the competition as flat as Poland. Rah!"
"Johnny Borrell and co follow up Golden Touch with one of the best tracks from their album Up All Night. Vice is yet another bit of retro rock, with a big singalong chorus and Borrell ill-advisedly giving away his mobile phone number in the lyrics. Top stuff from one of 2004’s most exciting bands."
"Let us end this debate right here and now; Johnny Borrell is unquestionably a prize c*ck. A giant ego meshed with a misguided sense of importance, relevance and cool. If you asked him if he was a shamen, he’d undoubtedly smirk and say “you said that, not me”. But he’d want to say “yes, of course I am, you insignificant prick”.
And then, you look at the cover of ‘Vice’ and you see an image that appears to crib from both the Stones (album cover of ‘Sticky Fingers’) AND the Beatles (the all-encompassing Apple Corps symbol). Razorlight better than the Beatles and the Stones?
“You said that, not me”.
“but yes, yes we are”.
Well, obviously you’re not, Johnny, but my hatred of Razorlight can only grow cartoon-baddy style, as they continue to churn out minor indie classics such as ‘Vice’. It’s much easier to hate these wet fuckers if they knocked out any old toss, but sadly, the histronic vocals, multi layered chorus, sage guitar lines and thudding drums of said song isn’t any old toss. In fact it’s really rather excellent, and as Borrell rinses his shlong dry over the final "'L'-'O'-'V'-'E'" cry, we doff our caps in wonderment.
At the most talented tosspot in the business."
"It may be the fifth single to emerge from Razorlight's debut album, Up All Night, but you can forgive the band for miking it for all its worth. Without doubt, one of the breakthrough albums of the year, Vice is another reason why the band could well overtake even The Libertines as the band of the decade. Devoid of the controversies surrounding Pete Doherty and co, Razorlight seem content to let their music do the talking for now, and boy does it sound great. The indie-pop, sing-along Vice is jam-packed full of feel-good melodies, stabbing guitars, and Johnny Borrell's excitable vocals. It may sound, in places, as though it's about to go into Stumble and Fall, and it may start the same way as a classic Raveonettes single, but it quickly comes back to deliver another blast of brilliance that really should provide the compelling proof of why this debut album should be a part of your collection come the year end. Bonus track, Golden Touch (recorded at Jo Whiley's lunchtime session) proves that, even live, this band sounds terrific."
"WHEN Tom Cruise gives your latest performance a standing ovation you know things must be going well.
After performing their last single Golden Touch in the Hollywood megastar and Parkie’s company the band follow-up it with the fifth outing from their debut LP, Up All Night.
As immediate as it’s predecessor it is again easy to see why shaggy-haired front man Johny Borrell has spent the last two years telling anyone who listen the depth of his song writing capabilities, as he undoubtedly has unerring sense for a killer melody.
Cleverly exposing his emotional weaknesses lyrically on a bed of majestic riffs hooked around a 70’s style L.O.V.E chorus, on this form Razorlight deserve to be everyone’s vice of choice."
"Fifth from the band's debut album is a great choice for follow up to 'Golden Touch'. Musically it references everyone from Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground to David Bowie and Television, it's a wannabe epic that saw Johnny Borrell handing out giant balloons at Glasto this year spelling out LOVE, "Yours is the fire that gets in my head / mine is desire, so let it burn down your bed." Is it about love? Is it about sex? Is it about something else entirely? Only Johnny knows."
"Remaining as indebted to Television as ever, but avoiding the lukewarm re-hashing of The Libertines and Franz Ferdinand as is wont to many of yore, 'Vice' is undoubtedly one of the better tracks on Razorlight's ultimately underwhelming debut album.
Dizzy, dishevelled and on this occasion, living up to the hyperbole, Johnny Borrell does manage to construct something that does border on the classic."
"The sexy, messy-haired Johnny Borrell slouches his way through this rousing rock ditty, leaving us panting and flushed in his wake."
"Driven by the genius singles 'Stumble And Fall', 'Rock N Roll Lies', 'Rip It Up' and 'Golden Touch', it is infused with all the youthful vigour and desire that made 'My Generation', 'Definitely Maybe' and 'The Stone Roses' such vital records.
Fifth single 'Vice' is another infectious slice of indie-pop featuring a sing-a-long chorus, stabbing guitars and a melody to die for, that further enhances the reputation of this much hyped band.
Whether Johnny Borrell and his impish minstrels will be able to continue this near perfect run of singles into a second album is anyone's guess, but for now let us be content with some of the best music to come out of Britain in some time."