De Staat:
ICON:
Mascot Music:
Out now:
★★★
Back in the '90s, lad-rock, dad-rock and very bad rock ruled the airwaves for a while - the likes of Stereophonics, Kasabian and Oasis governed the albums and singles charts while other genres could merely only look on, at least for a couple of years. Thus it seems odd that bands like De Staat still exist. There are certainly similarities between our previously outmoded homegrown yobs and The Netherlands long-winded answer to our shattered Britpop dreams seems a decade late.
Actually, De Staat are pretty good - they've got nifty tunes, quirky lyrics and sprightly rhythms and riffs that might have sold hundreds of thousands 15 years ago. In 2013, it's hard to see who will be buying into the Dutch outfit's anthemic vision, all of which makes De Staat pretty brave to have a crack at an already-saturated market. Still, 'ICON' is as good an attempt as any and in places, supersedes some of the mulch borne out of our own alt-rock scene.
Let's get the highlights out of the way first - the single 'Devil's Blood' appears in extended form and is a worthy contender for a few football programme highlights on Match of the Day, the brooding sub-disco romp 'Get It Together', the opening track (if you ignore the 9 second intro) 'All Is Dull' suggests De Staat could handle stadiums when pushed and the final song on the album, 'The Inevitable End', perhaps best displays their capabilities when not trying too hard.
Sadly though, four real bangers does not a great album make - the rest of 'ICON' is a mix of the likeable and occasionally detestable. Where that aforementioned quartet of tunes triumphs (memorable pop-rock, fit for radio), the almost idiotic 'Witch Doctor' and equally head-mangling cousin 'Input Source Select' crash and burn, while the crazed rhythms of 'Make Way For The Passenger' may translate well live on stage but on disc/record, forget it - it's a mess. Think Gogol Bordello on bad drugs with an faux-American accent.
On the plus side, the rest of 'ICON' ensures that, overall, their second full-length album is a vast improvement on their debut and may earn them an attentive audience next time they tour the UK.
ICON:
Mascot Music:
Out now:
★★★
Actually, De Staat are pretty good - they've got nifty tunes, quirky lyrics and sprightly rhythms and riffs that might have sold hundreds of thousands 15 years ago. In 2013, it's hard to see who will be buying into the Dutch outfit's anthemic vision, all of which makes De Staat pretty brave to have a crack at an already-saturated market. Still, 'ICON' is as good an attempt as any and in places, supersedes some of the mulch borne out of our own alt-rock scene.
Let's get the highlights out of the way first - the single 'Devil's Blood' appears in extended form and is a worthy contender for a few football programme highlights on Match of the Day, the brooding sub-disco romp 'Get It Together', the opening track (if you ignore the 9 second intro) 'All Is Dull' suggests De Staat could handle stadiums when pushed and the final song on the album, 'The Inevitable End', perhaps best displays their capabilities when not trying too hard.
Sadly though, four real bangers does not a great album make - the rest of 'ICON' is a mix of the likeable and occasionally detestable. Where that aforementioned quartet of tunes triumphs (memorable pop-rock, fit for radio), the almost idiotic 'Witch Doctor' and equally head-mangling cousin 'Input Source Select' crash and burn, while the crazed rhythms of 'Make Way For The Passenger' may translate well live on stage but on disc/record, forget it - it's a mess. Think Gogol Bordello on bad drugs with an faux-American accent.
On the plus side, the rest of 'ICON' ensures that, overall, their second full-length album is a vast improvement on their debut and may earn them an attentive audience next time they tour the UK.