Search - Rakes :: Capture / Release

Wake people this is cool!!!

alexander laurence | Los Angeles, CA | 06/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Rakes are one of the best recent British bands. They blitzed into LA late last year and took the city by storm. They have brilliant songs like "Strasbourg" and "22 Grand Job." Their songs are about everyday and ordinary things. One of the best songs here is "Retreat." The remix is amazing too. There are some intense songs like "Open Book" and "The Guilt." They have some more dub reggae moments like in "Violent." The Rakes are hard to pin down. The mix all the best genres of music and create their own deal. This record has been released in England a while ago. They have conquered Europe. They are one of the bands ready to take over in America. This new American release includes the new song "All Too Human.""

Pretty Sweet!

Sebastian Verde | Here, I'm Now | 01/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"(This gets five stars compared to contemporary tunes. The music gods get extra stars)



I just listened to the cd, about five times in a row. They have some really good stuff here. The lyrics are fresh and smart, the sound is their own and infectious.



Here are some songs evaluated randomly in no particular order.

22 Grand Job repeates "22 Grand Job, in the city that's alright" over and over, a low point for me.

Strasbourg is sweet! Spy's in germany, vodka, fast rocking guitar, powerfull lyrics, I think there spies anyway... maybe revolutionaries. Have to give it more listens.

Terror! is funny and unerving.

We Are All Animals, Pub Club Sleep, and Open Book are songs that I listen to obsessively... I downloaded them months ago.

The Guilt is funny stuff, but by the end it has morphed into something else.



The personas the lead singer takes on can be funny, profound, icy, vulnerable, anxious, depressed, fun, helpless, jaded, any combination of those things, and other stuff too.



The album is about modern life. It's like the report from the street (by a really smart guy), not the view from a ivory tower. Moreover you get to spend some time in the really smart guy's life. It feels like you are *there*. Alan Donohue writes the words, and sings. They all sing actully.



I'm not going to attempt to describe the music. It's pretty clean and minimalist, I guess. I leave further description to people who are better qualified.



I like these guys about as much as Arcade Fire- don't know if that means anything, but there it is.

























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