I’ve always thought of Gene as an OK indie band that rip off the Smiths quite a lot. Only I’m not a big fan of the Smiths so I’ve never really investigated them. However, when I asked my housemate Ian (Excelle) to give me a CD to review he shoved this into my waiting hand and reassured me “You may like it”. Let’s see if I will…
* New Amusements *
The album gets off to a good start with a slacker drumbeat/bass line with a few little synth noises. It slowly builds as several guitars come in with breathy vocals before finally exploding into a fast paced rock tune and then slows down again for the vocal. The song moves around between the various sections and despite the song being over six minutes long it never gets dull. High praise from me about an indie/Smithsish band!
* Fighting Fit *
Ah wait, I recognise this one. A stronger Smiths sound is present on this track, especially in the intro. The chorus is a stomping anthemic affair with singer Martin Rossiter yelling “I am, fighting fit and able”. The musics nothing particularly original but is still pretty good. Not everyband needs
to be a Fear of Pop or Secret Chiefs 3 after all!
* Where Are They Now? *
A bit less interesting this song. The song never lifts itself out of 80’s MOR rock balladery and as so I find it hard to pay much attention to it. Not a bad song, I wouldn’t rush to turn it off but I also wouldn’t turn it on.
* Speak To Me Someone *
Gene slip into a comfortable Smiths T Shirt on this track but it’s still 80’s MOR rock balladery. Actually, let me grab my soapbox for a moment. It’s this sort of rock music that is responsible for pop & rock always being classed together. Why??? Surely there’s as much difference between say Tupac and the Spice Girls as there is between the Spice Girls and say the Foo Fighters? Soapbox aside once again I wouldn’t turn it off but wouldn’t turn it on.
* We Could Be Kings *
The title of this track rings a bell and once the song gets going so does the music. There are bright little jangling guitar riff and organ parts in the verse, while crashing guitars and soaring vocals make up the rather stomping chorus. A return to form after a couple of rather dull tracks.
* Why I Was Born *
Oh dear, bearing in mind Gene’s previous performance the intro to this song doesn’t fill me with confidence. Simple acoustic guitar fairly quickly turns once again into wouldn’t turn it on, wouldn’t turn it off MOR dullness. If you like this sort of thing you should really enjoy this album, because as wouldn’t turn it on, wouldn’t turn if off MOR dullness goes it’s not bad. But I will never like that sort of music, sorry!
* Long Sleeves for the Summer *
Acoustic guitars open this track again, but with a more interesting riff than on the previous song. Shortly the guitar is joined by breathy vocals and it seems that Gene are going to pull off a ballad without sending me to sleep. A rather surprisingly (for the track) funky bass line and waltz time join the party and help the song keeps it’s head out of the MOR quagmire. Best ballad on the album so far.
* Save me, I’m yours *
Starting off with a if-hendrix-had-recorded-in-the-eighties guitar riff, synth pads and drums join it’s a pretty good start. As the song progresses the acoustic guitar takes on the main bulk of the work but the hendrixish riff keeps turning up. This is a good song, it has several layers on it which keeps it interesting. A nice laid back groove to it as well.
* Voice of the Father *
Staccato electric guitar makes for a rather unmatched intro to this song, as the song itself launches into a sort of light Foo Fighters do The Smiths style rock track. I’m a bit undecided on this, as it’s certainly not dull as some of the other tracks are but bands like Everclear and the aforementioned Foo Fighters do a much better job. Although the piano solo in the middle of the song is a nice touch and adds variety, but then it’s back to the previous style.
* The Accidental *
Laid back percussion and guitar start The Accidental off nicely. On occasions the song threatens to turn boring and repetitive, but just before it does it changes to something else that fits in the with the laid back mood to the track. I can see this one growing on me.
* I Love You, What Are You? *
Gene dive back to Smiths inspired MORness again on this track. They just about manage to avoid sinking under the surface though with the verses jangly bright verses as opposed to the rather plodding chorus. Again, wouldn’t turn it on – wouldn’t turn it off.
* Sub Rosa *
I was expecting a slow plodding track from Gene to finish off the album and they didn’t (or did, depending on how you look at it I guess) disappoint me. But just as I type that, the song gets going. Sods law eh? Gene return to light Foo Fighter style rock before fading out rather disappointingly.
Well, I quite enjoyed reviewing this random CD so if you have any suggestions for other CD’s for me to have a stab at (Could be unsigned or signed bands I don’t mind). If I can grab hold of the CD or download the tracks and the music holds at least a small bit of interest for me then I’ll give it a go. Assuming I can find a category for it that is. But anyway, this CD.
The best way to sum up I think is simply to list what tracks I intend to record off this CD before I give it back.
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