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Chords `n' notes
Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
EMI Music, CD, Rs. 350
"Anticipation has a habit to set you up/ for disappointment," sings Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner. As you go through the rest of the album, you realise that you should have picked up on that premonition, delivered to you on a silver platter. After all, look up the Arctic Monkeys, and you'll hear news of how their album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, made history by becoming the fastest selling debut album on the U.K. charts. And yet, like so much of Britpop nowadays, you really have to ask what all the fuss is about.
They've got great sound, as stripped down and gritty as you'd like after years of listening to wishy-washy bands like Coldplay. This album is as catchy as it has got in a while.
reminds you just how boring the lives of some of the regular Joes are.
At the end of it all, what you have is a decent punk, pub rock album. Nothing more nothing less.
The Shapeshifters: Sound Advice
Virgin Records (India), CD, Rs. 395
So you have it, another dance music duo that was supposed to change the scene forever. Or, at least, that's how The Shapeshifters were billed when they first burst onto the dance music scene with their now-iconic single Lola's Theme. It didn't hurt when Back to Basics and Incredible tasted similar success. So the obvious next step was a full-fledged album.
However, as is often the case, one, two or even three hit singles can't sell an entire album. While The Shapeshifters exhibit occasionally strong talent in this CD, the end result is more a letdown than anything else.
The primary problem with the album is its lack of direction. While Lola's Theme and Back to Basics are easy winners, with enough examples of why Simon Marlin and Max Reich are at the enviable place they recently occupied, the rest of the album smacks of lethargy or complacence. The Shapeshifters' Sound Advice might not stand up to the careful scrutiny of a reviewer, but it can surely get a crowd on its feet.
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