Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The Research

The Old Terminal

Label: Release Date: 27/10/2008

43304
alexhegazy by alex_snax November 11th, 2008

Seems like a couple of years can make a big difference in indie-pop history. You turn your back for a second to gawp at other marvellous musical incarnations and then you find out that Wakefield’s The Research added a guitarist in the time that it took you to forget all about them. And then the guitarist left before he even got to play on a stage. Yet, with new material being released into the world again we find out if they have been 2008’s most missed band? Judging by this new album, sadly not. But they were really missed, honestly, who could resist their debut longplayer Breaking Up - so catchy, catty and delightfully, harmoniously tuneful, it was always going to be hard to follow up.

On first listen, prepare for a shock: the comfortingly trashy trademark keyboard element of the music has been ripped out and a guitar has been shoved in its place. And it’s just not the same, not as fun. Yes, the vocal harmonies are still there like on hopelessly romantic ‘I Think She’s The One I Love’ and the sweetly shining ‘Librarian Girl’. Yes, the dreamy indie-pop feeling is still alive - try ‘There Are No Subs In My Team’, but something has happened to The Research, something has stirred within their core.

Musically there are a few more surprises, but no more paradigm shifts, it’s just, perhaps, that The Research have outgrown their old formula and want to try out some different tricks. There’s old school kids puppet program sounding ‘All My Love’ with it’s trumpet and bassoon, then ‘I Would Like to be Forgiven’ with it’s harmonica and ‘Going To Be Disappearing’ with its purely piano shuffle.

And then nestled away amongst the new sound are some future singles to be, some more of those songs to sing along with. The Research check in with the gloriously uplifting ‘Rockin’ the Boat With My Friends’ and the starry eyed ‘Anytime, Babe’, affirming that The Research made it through to the next level, just, just someone tell them to bring the decrepit Casio back. Or another keyboard, not fussed.

  • 6
    alex_snax's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees


  • A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash


  • Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019



Left-arrow

Razorlight

Slipway Fires

Mobback
43256
29356

Neon Neon, Yo Majesty at Leeds Brudenell Social Club, Sat 01 Nov

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135

    Festival Review


    25 years of SPOT Festival: DiS Picks Its Best 11

  • 106134
  • Festival Review


    Twelve Hours Of Drone Is Just The Beginning: Di...

  • 106133
MORE


    review


    Reverend And The Makers - @Reverend_Makers

  • 93547
  • feature


    The National: "We nearly lost our minds making ...

  • 30199

    news


    RIP: the Neu-Kraut scene

  • 28881
  • news


    Brian May in DiS-hating shocker!

  • 20986

    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Staff-generated


    Reviewed: Shut Up And Play the Hits a documenta...

  • 83336

    DiScussion


    Guyliners: Why Do UK Festivals Have So Few Fema...

  • 97325
  • news


    My Chemical Supergrass: Gerard Way and Gaz Coom...

  • 98527
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2021 DROWNED IN SOUND