Rumble Strips – Welcome to the Walk Alone
Continuing 2009’s form of so-so indie bands moving away from the simplicity of their debuts in an attempt to create actual worthwhile music to last more than six months (see The Maccabees, Jack Penate etc), The Rumble Strips have slimmed down the fun, if fleeting brass pop of their debut to create an altogether darker record of proper emotion and 60s soul.
It’s no surprise to find the slick production is the master-work of Mark Ronson, who has done what he does best and take the pop song out the garage and put it on a West End stage. With the occasional horn of course.
The strings too are a welcome addition, lushly provided by Owen Pallet, a man whose orchestration has found its way onto albums by Arcade Fire and Last Shadow Puppets, as well as his own brilliant Final Fantasy project. And the combination of magic production and orchestration comes to a perfect head on Back Bone, an intelligent epic that creeps up on you with slick pop moves, becoming the centrepiece of an album that should defy all expectations.
It’s not quite up there with The Bends in terms of second album greatness, but it’s an encouraging sign that music may be getting interesting again.
8.4/10
Release Date: 13 Jul
