Take To The Skies - Enter Shikari > Reviews > Sorry You're Not A Winner

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	A strong album bridging the divide between Hardcore Punk and Hard Techno
Disadvantages:	Album contains a lot of screaming

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Enter Shikari have enjoyed a great deal of success this year and they have no one to thank for that other than themselves. I truly respect the band for the way they have achieved everything off of their own backs, and really made a success of themselves without the need for major label backing. It is a testament to the changing state of the music industry nowadays that bands are able to do this and it truly is a great thing to see. 'Take To The Skies' was released through the bands own Ambush Reality imprint back in March and has been selling extremely well.

On display on this album are the singles 'Mothership', 'Sorry You're Not A Winner/OK, Time For Plan B', 'Anything Could Happen In The Next Half Hour', and the most recently released 'Jonny Sniper' as well as some other great tracks mixing the two different forms of hardcore (Hardcore Punk and Hardcore Techno). It is well worth noting that 5 of the 11 tracks on display here have already been released as singles, highlighting just how strong an album this really is. Although on paper not the album's strongest single, 'Sorry You're Not A Winner' was a definite silent success - enjoying extensive airplay at Rock clubs across the country for many months. It's not hard to see why this single was such a success on the club scene; the track was made for making a drunken fool of yourself, clapping along in time to the record. I myself have a definite softspot for this one, there's just something about it that makes it incredibly enjoyable and listenable. It's the sort of track you'll have on repeat and happily sing (and clap) along to for hours on end.

I think that 'Labyrinth' is probably my favourite non-single album track here; the synths sound great, and the track as a whole just all seems to fit together perfectly. Right from the exciting synth opening, you know that this one is going to be something really rather special and it certainly doesn't disappoint as the track progresses. At just under 4 minutes in length, this one never fails to impress and maintains all it's energy and excitement throughout.

If I were to have one qualm with the band; it would be with their screaming. They sound so much more at home when they are singing as opposed to screaming, and to greatly reduce the use of it would definitely benefit them I feel. At times it just seems that the band are overplaying the screaming element of their music a bit and they are just so much more than this. It is often the case that bands scream a lot in order to compensate for the fact that vocally they aren't up to much, however Enter Shikari have great vocals that should definitely be forefronted more. It is for this reason therefore that I love the track 'Adieu', a track that is completely free of screaming. This is a nice, relaxed, chilled out track forefronting the bands fine vocal talent that works incredibly well. The track builds and builds, leading up to an impressive finale - a great way for the band to say goodbye and bid us farewell from the album. Why therefore the track doesn't finish off the album is beyond me, as after this one we get the incredible 'Ok, Time For Plan B', followed by the Outro which is a short but sweet musical closer for the album.

Having played at Download Festival, Give It A Name, and Glastonbury this year - the band then went on to rock the Reading and Leeds festivals over the summer at the end of August. The band put on one hell of a live show and I'd highly recommend their live antics to anyone; the band are energetic, enthusiastic, and most importantly confident and charismatic performers. Enter Shikari are an extremely strong young band and given time will surely mature and progress as a band. I myself am already greatly anticipating what the band can come up with in time for album number two.

Label: Ambush Reality
Release Date: 19th March 2007

Tracklist:

1. Stand Your Ground: This Is Ancient Land
2. Enter Shikari
3. Mothership
4. Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour
5. (Interlude)
6. Labyrinth
7. No Sssweat
8. Today Won't Go Down In History
9. (Interlude)
10. Return To Energizer
11. (Interlude)
12. Sorry You're Not A Winner
13. (Interlude)
14. Jonny Sniper
15. Adieu
16. Ok Time For Plan B
17. Outro

Originally posted by me on my website Alt-UK.com
Source: http://www.alt-uk.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=433