'All Too Human'…? Perhaps. The Rakes have never been the most charismatic of bands. Here, as ever, they are needy, neurotic and half-cut. Alan swoons his way inoffensively through bleeping, lilting verses which find balance to be more and more of a challenge as the song moves through one minute, two minutes, three minutes of sweaty familiarity. Every so often a chorus punches its way into the song but you can't help but feel that, given the chance, the boys would opt to retire to corner booths and pints of house ale rather than deal with these outbursts of Stella-crunked lairiness.
The Rakes may no longer live the lives of city boys, but they display all the precision of the office environment. This song, typical of The Rakes, is bled through the square mile; it sounds like those big glass buildings look, imperiously sucking up the surrounding environment so as to become almost invisible. Lasse beats drums cut smart and sharp as a pin-prick, Jamie looks like he has the potential for cheekiness, but instead gives in and his bass is suffocated under Matthew Swinnerton's guitar which, though likely to nod heads, is not going to test any pulses.
Last year’s 'Capture/ Release' was one of my favourites but if The Rakes insist on sticking so closely to their job description, then I will ham up the role of spoon-fed middle class consumer. Do more Rakes, do more! I thought no-one in the city was supposed to be honest anyway.
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6's Score