Album Reviews
Stereophonics
Language. Sex. Violence. Other?
V2, 2005
7 Anuses out of 10
Review By: Eliminator
In all honesty, I've never really cared much about Stereophonics; I've known of their existence for about six years, but I've never particularly liked or disliked them. Their 2003 single "Maybe Tomorrow" was maybe the first song I really took notice to and said, "Hey! This ain't bad!"
Early this year "Dakota," the first single from this album, was released stateside (they are from the U.K.). Aside from me liking the song immensely it is probably the most catchy song they've ever done, and probably their biggest hit. Which, unfortunately, isn't saying much since most people have probably never heard of it. That's just the way it is in this musical climate, a straightforward Alt-Rock concoction that doesn't fit into the nü-metal or emo genres won't garner much mainstream attention. But, nonetheless, this catchy little ditty caused me to want to hear the rest of what these guys have produced this year.
And so I have now listened to the entire new disc, Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, and it ain't bad.
It ain't great, either (that, too, is just the way it is in this musical climate; most albums are disposable). It isn't for lack of trying—this is the fifth release from Stereophonics—but none of the other songs on Language live up to the expectations set by "Dakota," which may not be a bad thing for their core fans, but it will help solidify "Dakota" as the only minor radio hit they'll ever have in the States.
But the album has its share of decent moments, "Devil," the latest U.K.-released single, could easily be summed up as the second-best song on the album (behind "Dakota"). The album is chock-full of good ol' straightforward rock, courtesy of the band's simple guitar, bass, and drums configuration, mixed in with a hint of synth. A couple of notable groovers help make this album a cut above just average. "Pedalpusher" and "Girl" are pretty damn good and there are a few other decent jams throughout the album. The start-off track, "Superman" finds singer Kelly Jones adding a little falsetto to his gravely voice.
However, almost half of the album is completely forgettable; Stereophonics suffer from the same problem a lot of bands suffer from: albums chock full of filler. Outside of three or four songs, there is nothing on this album that will have you coming back for repeat listens. This is the greatest weakness of Stereophonics. Though most hardcore Stereophonics fans would laud me for such a 'newbie' opinion, I'm probably a lot more forgiving than most Johnny-Come-Lately fans that bought the album off of the strength of "Dakota" will be. Which means this album will most likely have a decent shelf life in used CD stores nationwide.
Track Listing/Clips:
1. Superman (clip)
2. Doorman
3. Brother
4. Devil (clip)
5. Dakota (clip)
6. Rewind
7. Pedalpusher
8. Girl
9. Lolita
10. Deadhead
11. Feel
©2010 The Elimination Dept.
