Longwave
"The Strangest Things" CD
RCA
Records
Genres: The Strokes
band
website
Apr 14 - 29 2003 |
Everyone
likes the Strokes, right? Well, no, not really. But regardless, there is a large
audience for their simplified garage-y pop, and so it was only a
matter of time before the imitators came in. Well, here's Longwave
- but wait, they were in around before The Strokes
even released their debut album! Regardless, the band seem to have
picked up a lot of the Strokes sound after they toured with the
much-hyped New Yorkers themselves in 2002.
With a vocalist whose voice is so close to that of Julian
Casablancas' it hurts, a similar chime in the guitar (except with
a bit more of a shoegazer sound), and the type of melodies that Is
This It was drenched in, Longwave's The Strangest Thigns
will hopefully satiate the public until the upcoming Strokes record
is finally released.
"Wake Me When It's Over," the album's opener, is a
passionate, beautiful piece of music. Longwave start
everything by showing that, yes, they actually make it sound like they
care about the music they're playing - something The Strokes
have been notorious for leaving out of their live shows. "The
Ghosts Around You", meanwhile, take the band's Stroked-out
vocals and combine them with a catchy, slowed-down
guitar-chord-and-drum backing. "Everywhere You Turn"
shows the uglier side of Longwave - they seem to go for the Strokes'
sound but suffer from a severe case of "okay"-dom.
On the plus side, Strokes fans will lap this shit up.
There are lots of nice melodies, and even some fun parts where the
band stray from their Stroke dedication altogether (the youthful
"Tidal Wave" is a prime example). All of the album's
tracks are very catchy and lots of fun to sing along to. However,
this isn't a particularly original record, and those who hate The
Strokes are likely to also hate what Longwave has come up
with. The only way for Longwave to improve this for the
next full-length would be to change their formula and ditch the Strokes
similarities altogether. However, the band members will have to
decide whether they'll still have their RCA contract if they try out a
fresher style (after all, RCA is part of BMG, and what do we all know
about major labels ...)
Strokes fans, and I know there are a whole bunch of you out
there - check out Longwave, you'll likely find a lot to like in
The Strangest Things. At least it will help you count the
days (and delays) until the Strokes finally get their new
record out into a Walmart near you.
81%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
12 songs, distributed by Insound, released
2003] |