Epic indie kids they may be, but there seems to be a darker edge emerging to The Race’s normally mild-mannered sound. In the past as free-flowing as a babbling brook and bottled at source for that fresh taste, new single ‘Find Out’ is sifted and filtered over a punchy riverbed of art-rock design, shedding its purity in favour of restless frustration as it gathers momentum.
Where before the Berkshire quintet welcomed us with open arms, here they are cagey, focused and purposeful, positioned musically at the point where Morning Runner’s daytime radio vibe meets the jerking, stripped-back sound of Bloc Party’s ‘Helicopter’ yet never really committing to either. After the cacophonous opening of feedback and the string-scraping, unstructured noise gives way to a simple, staccato lead guitar pattern and stop-start feel, the rest of the track builds towards a glorious crescendo before imploding into their familiar widescreen indie for the final minute as whatever has gotten the Berkshire quintet so worked up prompts frontman Dan Buchanan to violently assault his keyboard.
Vocally delivered with passion and backed by a frantic barrage of disjointed riffery to match Interpol and the NYC crowd, The Race’s departure from their normal, cosy world of anthemic indie for this foray into the currently-fashionable land of uptempo, stuttering rhythms can only be a good sign. With debut album Be Your Alibi arriving shortly, there’s no better time for them to add another arrow to their collective quivers, but whether ‘Find Out’ will still be a bit too clean-cut for some is another matter altogether.
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7ben marwood's Score