Thanks largely to their frontman’s unrepentant decision to wear sunglasses 24 hours a day, this group already feel strangely iconic, and you can feel the national fever rising as the release of their debut record swings into view. All of a sudden people everywhere – even people who you always suspected didn’t actually listen to music - are asking ‘Who Are Glasvegas?” And it’s no surprise: after a fairy epic stampede through the summer festivals, hype has been overtaken by word of mouth.
And as long as you know what you’re letting yourself in for - ie, misery and release from misery - this record won’t disappoint. Glasvegas have found the DNA code for The Anthem – and have injected it right into the heart of every single song.
It’s the sound of people running out of trauma, running out of a bad relationship, running out of the pub, and letting out a war cry as the sun sets on their tragic past. As such, from ‘Geraldine’ to ‘Daddy’s Gone’, the groove is set to ‘Epic Spector’.
The band step out of their light-bath to provide us with something more interesting on ‘Stabbed’ – a spoken word communication between a stab victim and his attacker set to Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’. It’s eerie, like a particulary dark scene from Mike Leigh’s ‘Naked’.
There are a lot of broken hearted people out there, who’ll doubtless find some kind of faith in Glasvegas: the record seems to reach out it’s hand with reconciliation. On the other hand, if sadness isn’t even your temporary disposition, it can feel somewhat 2D.
On their next record, they’ll need more than tempo changes to differentiate the songs.
iLiKETRAiNS DEMO OF THE WEEK:
ISTVAN & THE KOSMAS / DISCO CLUB IMPERIAL
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Also check out the review here
Wrong, wrong, you're all fucking wrong
I hate the fucking NME as much as any sane person should and I love this band.
They have no pretenstions to what they do, they sound brilliant, they're lyrics actually mean something what more do you what.
Fuck off and leave Glasvegas alone if you don't like them and go back to your cuntish indie pop "art" dance
im sorry, i find it hard to
im sorry, i find it hard to disagree with such a nicely written article, especially as it doesnt follow the NME structure of ending every review with "these are the ones to watch out for in 2009"....thanks NME.
I tried to listen to Glasvegas with an open mind, seeing their tit of a front man on Buzzcocks hardly impressed me but i had to try to keep my interest. After a few listens they seemed a little to much like a follow up to Elbow, with the same concoction of indie/rock conventions with the post rock edge, they seem to be filling in until Elbows next album. not thats theres anything wrong with that, chasing the example of mercury prize winners is bound to get you somewhere, but it just seems unfulfilling.
If you want some new vaguely epic sounding, and not as overplayed as Kings of Leon there's plenty out there, just needs a bit more finding. also artrocker, any chance of a white lies review? i probably just missed it. In the mean time im keeping an eye on these guys, very new but lots of potential of epic-ish postpunk:
www.myspace.com/emphaticamusic
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