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British Sea Power: Waving Flags

21 votes
?
by Alex Denney

British Sea Power must have forgotten to shut the door on the way in, because it’s awful blustery the instant laser hits disc on this, the first single to be taken from muchly anticipated new rekkid Do You Like Rock Music?.

Gripes have been aired on this hack’s part, at least, about the epic post-rock sweep of that record – as opposed to the punkier fixes of yesteryear – but admittedly such criticisms are like shouting into a force ten gale when confronted with stunningly realised, blood-and-thunder epics such as this one.

That, and its lyrical sentiment, an eccentric salute to the eastern European arrivistes we’re so accustomed to seeing vilified in the national press, is so gosh-darned well-intentioned it’ll make you want to rush out and hug the nearest immigrant (c’mere, Kev Kharas).

With the ambitious rhyme “welcome in / we are barbarians / welcome in / ‘cross the Carpathians”, 'Sea Power roll their eyes and offer an implicit, ‘don’t mind those guys with the pitchforks, they’re just jerks’, and clank hefty tankards with our Slavic chums in high style indeed.

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Read more reviews of this week's singles here

  • British Sea Power 9 / 10

this sounds awesome

can't wait for the new album :)


never got this band

they sound so average and samey, they make Bloc Party look like Led Zeppelin

What about that ludicrous album title?


and what's more

this song screams ARCADE FIRE


hmmm

one of my mates said this as a compliment, and my response to you is the same as to him: "really?"
i think it's ace, and i like the added swooshiness on the new album generally.


ok

being so AF is not necessarily bad....

but still, I don't understand the fuss about this lot. I find the vocals excruciatingly bad, the melodies and guitar parts too simple and repetitive, and overall their stuff (apart from Oily Stage and Be Gone) leaves me cold - not that I hate them, or think they're shite, but, more like, what's so special about them?


Hello

Please take your head out of your arse.

Yes! It sounds like ARCADE FIRE. What a bunch of copyist revivalists!!!

Hmm, have you thought about listening to the unavowedly epic tracks on their first album, like 'A Wooden Horse' or 'Fear of Drowning' then listening to the subsequently released tracks on Funeral such as 'Tunnels' or 'Haiti'. Hmm, who did it first? And more pertinently, who cares? I read an interview with BSP yesterday where they said these comparisons, whilst ultimately flattering, confound them for the above reason and stating that Win Butler has told them personally he loves the band. So, erm, shut up.

As for this song itself, the swooshiness is indeed the key. I can't imagine how good 'Oily Stage' would have sounded with that blasting round. Doves (Lost Souls era) is a decent comparison actually, I'm nicking that.

Still, Spirit of St Louis remains their ultimate and always will.


Hi

"who cares? "

You, and the band itself, seem to care a lot. You go through their back catalogue to prove they did it first.
BSP get upset every time the words ARCADE FIRE come up in interviews, apparently.

"Yes! It sounds like AF. What a bunch of copyist revivalists!!!"

What a shameless plug to try to revitalise an ailing career, more like.

It's obvious you & me won't agree. You obviously are a fan, I had to sit through a 30 mins jam session at the end of their show which bored the hell out of me, complete with stage invasion, and hate them ever since.


the 'thirty minute jam'

was probably brilliant. it has been every time i've seen them do it. it's fine that you don't like them. onslow's just trying to be nice and make your life better by opening you up to their brilliance.
also, this AF comparison thing has only come about on this album, so isn't it just stemming from lazy journalism/comment on the fact that they recorded in canada with a guy who produced AF? i do like both bands, but they are different...


...

Why you hating?


it sounds more like Doves

than Arcade Fire for me.


I can hear that

But it's better than Doves. Somewhere between the two for me.


the album

is FANTASTIC.


Amazing

Indeed.


Yeah, it does sorta sound AFish

but that's not a bad thing (BSP have always had an 'epicness' about them), and if it's not quite Carrion/Fear of Drowning great... I eagerly await the lp release.


never got this band until...

...i heard the latest record - which I absolutely love.


This song

is awesome, as is the rest of the record. Prepare for this band to blow up to giant proportions.


dreadful

overblown stadium rock.....get your lighters out


This is a very well-deserved

9/10. Cracking single. Leaves me itching for the album.


Sounds Like Arcade Fire

Isn't funny how influences work.

Arcade Fire in the past have citing British Sea Power as an influence and now BSP being accused of sounding a bit Arcade Fire...

How lovely the ever rotating world of music is.

Rock and Roll is dead, long live Rock and Roll.

Casbah

4th Floor

www.myspace.com4thfloor

indie/electro/rocknroll

every sat at Kings College London WC2.





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