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the rakes work work work single sleeve

The Rakes: Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

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by Colin Roberts
If you haven't been informed already, The Rakes are the sound of London today. From the incisive nature of their lyricism to the messy backing vocal that sounds like the back-end of an East End boozer on a Friday night.

'A shower and a scrub, still smell like the smoking bit in a Wetherspoon's pub' croons singer Alan Donohoe and like The Streets before him and Jamie T to come, it's Londoner rhetoric to relate to and to adore. It's the draw of the next almost-so-laid-back-their-vertical chorus and the instantly likeable quirks that this band provide that set them apart from their peers.

Where this single is let down is the lacklusture production from a one Paul Epworth, previously not one to disappoint (see Maximo Park, Bloc Party et al) that makes 'Work Work Work' fall slightly short of the mark - as if it were a rejected demo for the record. Where this recording washes over the listener and leaves no impact, it's a formidable force when played live.

The Rakes are unabashedly the sound of now, facets of negativity surround a belly of musical perfection - just don't dismiss them 'til you've been to a show, y'hear?

  • The Rakes 7 / 10

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I've got the same shirt on for two days in a row,
with a soy sour stain so everone knows.
A shower and a scrub,
still smell like the smoking bit in a Wetherspoon's pub.
I'll have my lunch early,
get some su-gar in my blood,
my clothes still smell of last night,
i've got to clear my head.

Best verse of 2005

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Listen to The Decemberists' Picaresque and tell me the same thing.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

good point, well made.

crablin 1, other guy 0.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

crablin, you're a genius.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Easy boys, jump outta Crablin's just for one second.
But i'll take a high five anyway, even if it wasn't offered to me.
*slap*

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

High fives are for everyone, yo!

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

High fives are for everyone, yo!

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

He didn't even quote the best line .. .

"Please shut up and try and sound confident
Any crap job when your media course is done"

Is obviously brilliant.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Never given 'em much of a chance before, but after catching their last song at T and watching them cause an ALMIGHTY stage invasion - no mean feat at a corporate festival - I may be swung into checking out their album when it comes out...

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Ohyes.
I'm not usually a fan of stage invasions.
But The Rakes were too damn good.
So I jumped on.

Off to see tham today. It shall be good.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

much of the album is over-produced. 'the violence' sounds utter dire now.

tis a great record, don't get me wrong, but just seems like a mismatched partnership for the most part.
(tho much of it is ace. it has to be. it's the rakes, mofo!)

but i'll save further comments for when the album review is up ;)

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

We Are the Animals sounds amazing on it tho. Will be on an advert by the end of the year, surely?

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

we are all animals is ace but i think you mean open book with the a-woah!... a-woah!... x

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I thought Epworth over-produced the Maximo Park album.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Love this song, until the fucking talking comes in.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I love this song; with everyone getting moist over Arctic Monkeys' Libertine-Streets hybrid, I think it's worth remembering we already have a more than competent act doing just that. This one's not as good as Retreat though, admittedly.

Great live as well, even songs that previously left me cold, like Strasbourg, fill out well.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I guess it's just me but I think this has a real Pavement vibe to it.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Yeah, 'im look like S. Malkmus. Sorry, just been listening to Lady Sovereign.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I wasnt to keen, but saw them at glastonbury and they are ace live, frontma`n is charasmatic n keeps the crowd interesting, i think they played some songs too.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Can you guys define what is overproduced? Did anyone really expect The Rakes+Paul Epworth= Lo Fi? They have a f**king cool guitarist and you need those lovely angular attacks ricocheting off the inside of your skull. The Rakes aren't the pretenders amidst all these greasy spoon London bands. Retreat is a classic single and an inspired piece of songwriting :)

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

I don't like this band, but I went to see them at Cov Colliseum and they were ace. My friend got us in on the guestlist as he went to Uni with Alan and it was such a great show.
I'm just not a great fan of his voice really, the lyrics and singing are good, but just not my thing, blatantly not heavy enough and too many 4/4 kick drum beats and 16 beat hi-hats for my liking

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

The cover is almost identical to that used by Politburo for the single 'Line of Wealth'.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

ah yes.
that famous band.
politburo.


sorry. wut?

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Fame has nothing to do with it, and I'm not sure why you've posted such a sarcastic response. If there is something in what I've said (which there is), then you are a major cunt and you obviously delight in being one.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

yes, your words managed to get under my skin this morning. Well done!

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Fuck off are they diverse. Good track though.

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

They've grown on me a lot since the last single, but I really need the album to judge.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

IT IS A GOOD ALBUM (and now i feel mean for my ealier comment)

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

Londoner rhetoric?
Pretty nationwide phenomena this Wetherspoon malarkey.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

ooh. good game ahoy i feel.
name some bands or singer who've namechecked wetherspoons.

i'll start!

the rakes ('work work...')
chris t-t ('drink beer')

...
(TBC)

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

'twas a general comment across the track (and indeed band & LP as a whole)

However, I'm a cunt.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

it beats "Wakefield at war" in the nationally resonating social commentary front, being from Bournemouth, at least

The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

It's a great album. They were never going to do a straight live recording, not with all their book-learning and such.

I thought the production on this was a pretty light touch actually. It's different from the others in that the focus is pretty much on the vocal but then again it's a lyric-heavy song. And the lyrics are ace.

Re: The Rakes - Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)

GAH!
Split personality Adie again... Edwards, Nunn, Edwards, Nunn...
FIX IT.




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