Rialto’s third album (and third label), so what’s new? Well, the soaring vocals, tight arrangement, and equally sombre and optimistic feelings stay. The traditional sound, however, has been given a distinctly electronic rub down. Where Rialto used to rely on the reliable live set-up plus some strings they now employ synths, drum machines, and anything else they can get their hands on to make them sound a little less britpop and a little more Y2k.
Coming across as an updated Human League mixed with a less arse spanking "Coming Up" era Suede "Night On Earth" has the dance beats, the earthy lyrics, the stiff romanticism, and the cascading guitars - topped off with trademark dramatic indie vocals. Tracks like "Drive" come improbably close to sounding like The Smiths with an Atari.
And that’s the point. Rialto write classic songs in a classic style, and always will regardless of how much technology they get their hands on from their local Cash Converters. If you liked them before you will like this.
If you didn’t then you won’t…
…you moron.
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8Andy (quirk) Thomas's Score