Artist: Suzerain
Title: Midnight in the Drawn City
Genre: Alternative / Electro / Rock
Release Date: June 2011
Label: Whitelabel Music
Album Review
SUZERAIN is a band from London who circled the scene for five years and now they’re here to offer us ‘Midnight in the Drawn City’ LP which was produced by Steve Lyon (who can be credited with working with the likes of DEPECHE MODE, THE CURE and SIOUXSIE SIOUX). On the musical map, I’d place them somewhere between THE KILLERS and EDITORS with a bit more (modern) punk (the one without balls and real attitude or let’s rephrase it - good nice boys pretending to be bad wild boys) leanings at times. They want to bring you “the most awesome danceable rock”.
‘Leave It There’ opens it quite well, it’s catchy but it will remind you of their new wave, post-punk revival predecessors. It’s a pleasant song nevertheless and one that sure brings the danceability to the forefront. There’s something about most of the album that makes you short of breath, they seem to be in a bit of a hurry. If anything it gives you a clue that they are quite young and full of energy. ‘Keeping Tabs’ does slow down but some parts get too tedious, but all’s not lost here, they are contrasted by parts that pick it up a level, few intense moments, underlined by cello and sparse keyboards emulating piano, emotive vocal that give it more atmosphere. ‘Apocalypse Disco’ is another song that pushes itself forward as a hit - and it’s not surprising therefore that it was a single to usher the LP in. ‘What Happened’ which sure fits the same bill also is... another song chosen as a single too. Though these sound bit generic, SUZERAIN still manage to put their own stamp on it, but the stamp is still not exactly determined.
‘Crying Now’ is a wonderful, slow song, again the cello makes it something above the average as does the guitar. It’s a pleading, sad, bit melodramatic yet touching song. ‘New Solution’ is quite interesting, a bass heavy rock-ish number with a bit of an edge. ‘Midnight in the Drawn City’ is a pleasant album from a band showing a promise; however, I feel they’ve got some way to mature yet and to find themselves. I think the styles they play with sometimes come out in too many loose ends, rather than merge completely comfortably and pull together. When they do though they might just feel like a breath of fresh air in a genre where lately everyone tries to sound like everybody else.
Tracklist
01. Leave It There – 4.17
02. What Happened – 3.01
03. Keeping Tabs – 5.20
04. Apocalypse Disco – 3.39
05. Certain Speeds – 4.20
06. Hostage – 4.57
07. New car – 3.57
08. Life on Film – 3.27
09. Shark Bait – 4.20
10. Crying Now – 3.43
11. New Solution – 5.10
12. Get By – 4.31
Line-up
Tom Pether - Vocals
Richard Summers - Guitar
Mike Smith - Bass
Matt Constantine - Keys/Cello
Ben Howe - Drum
Websites
http://www.myspace.com/suzerainmusic / http://www.suzerainmusic.com
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 6.5
Sound: 8
Total: 7.25 / 10
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