Slipway Fires by Razorlight

I saw Razorlight on stage a year or two ago and Johnny Borrel launched into some monologue about how the band wouldn’t be making music for a while. I was crushed and heartbroken. Upon listening to their new album, “Slipway Fires,” I wish that those words he’d spoken back in 07 had been true. They should probably never have wasted energy making this record.

The first single, “Wire To Wire”, is particularly delicate and you feel that if you turn the volume up to any enjoyable level, you will, in fact, break the fragile song. Borrell’s vocals become a bit more expressive and enjoyable on the second track, “Hostage Of Love,” a tune that thankfully has some glimmer of Razorlight’s former musical glory.

“You And The Rest” is bearable, once you get past the tedious introduction. If you get past the tedious introduction. “Tabloid Lover” that follows this, is a high point on the record, that has a Beatles-esque vibe and is a searing indictment of the tabloid-focused culture the band has had to make their way through.

It’s uncertain what message the band was trying to get across on “North London Trash”, “Stinger” and “60 Thompson,” but I don’t think it works and I think the album could have done without these two tracks.

“Burberry Blue Eyes” is the next, and last track, that shows what great music Razorlight can make. Hopefully this will be a released single so that it can get everyone’s feet tapping to the excellent snare beat that carries on throughout.

“The House” closes the album on a fairly interesting and emotional ballad note, but unfortunately does little to leave listeners wanting more.

On second thought, maybe “Slipway Fires” would not have been so bad if the band hadn’t had such a crackingly excellent previous album. Sadly, it doesn’t compare and isn’t really worth the listening time.

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