Is this the most anticipated Irish debut album of the last five years?
It certainly seems so. Live broadcasts on Phantom, BBC Sessions, high visibility UK support slots, a buzz here and the UK, album streams, magazine articles, Number 2 in NME’s 10 Hopes of the Near Future, blog posts galore, forum debate, regular radio rotation. Everyone is weighing in with their own expectations of the four-piece’s debut so I suppose I will too.
In a review I wrote over the weekend due to be published in State very soon I said “The entire album walks the line between pop and alternative perfectly without dipping into procedure”. It’s a great album, a superb debut from a vital band. It might not even be the best debut album released in Ireland this year but by their own high standards and the hype bar that was set for them, they’ve not faltered one bit.
I understand peoples frustration at ‘Something Global’ particularly, especially when it is played every 90 minutes on Phantom during work hours. It’s the only song that feels a little too calculated compared to the rest of the album but its still a good song in small doses. Other standouts include ‘Digifucker’ and the uniquely sounding ‘Lumpy Dough’. Even the 8 second brain shout of ‘Megameanie’ is great showing a band with a bit of balls and character. I think that’s the best thing about this band. They’ve got a bit of colour and character to them that wil stand to them for quite a while.
People go on about the re-recorded versions of ‘Jake Summers’, ‘Lend Me Your Face’, ‘Do You Karate?’ , ‘Snore Bore Whore’ and ‘ Battlestations’ as if its some kind of sacrilege to revisit them but put those old versions on this album and they would stand out a mile and not in a good way. Why begrudge a band for not keeping it lo-fi if that band only made lo-fi music due to financial constraints? It’s too clean and pristine you say? Well, there’s a half a dozen Moldy Peaches albums waiting for you instead if you please. I’ll be playing my copy of this album instead thanks.
Fight Like Apes – Jake Summers (Live 6Music Session)
Fight Like Apes – Official | Myspace
Fight Like Apes album artwork by Loreana.
I’m getting a “you are not authorised” page when I try to stream the album! Wank!
I think I’m pretty much come round to your way of thinking though. Some of the re-recordings are better than the others, but it’d be silly to have the old versions on it.
What’s your best debut, if not this?
That’s weird Karl. Must be a glitch in the Matrix.
Regarding best debut – Probably Heathers to be honest.
I think the re-recordings are a mixed bunch: I don’t think any of them improve upon the original recordings, but I can see the benefit of maintaining a consistent production value across the whole album.
My main problem is with ‘Jake Summers’- I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say they’ve quite literally cut the balls off of this one. The chorus is designed to explode out of your speakers and throttle you, but that one killer selling point has been compressed out of it.
The songwriting is great but sometimes, particularly on ‘Something Global,’ it’s like there’s so much going on and nothing really compliments each other.
Heathers were amazing at HWCH but there was part of me thinking they are just Tegan and Sarah # 2! Two incredibly talented girls though. Maybe I’m just bitter and jealous.
well said Nialler, looking forward to reading your review.
Half a dozen Moldy Peaches albums????
“Why begrudge a band for not keeping it lo-fi if that band only made lo-fi music due to financial constraints?”
I’m not so sure if this is a fair reflection on the apes. When they first started they wanted everything to sound as raw and wild as possible. Their musical influences were pretty much all lo-fi stuff including the aforementioned moldy peaches. They did not sound the way they did because of any kind of constraint, it was because they chose to I think. I mean it’s not as if they were ever short of a bob or two. Other things have happened in the meantime to make their sound different. It’s still great, however. But I for one think it’s an understandable gripe for some of their earlier fans to connect less with the music. I also think the band might understand this. Live is where it’s at. To me, the album is a middle ground, and an excellent one at that. But live they are untouchable.
Fight Like Apes are loaded?
That explains it.
Naw not like that niall. I mean that it was a deliberate choice to record that way. They could easily have afforded better recording if they so wished. It’s not like as if when they were recording the original jake summers they thought, “ok if only we had enough money to compress the fuck out of this”. I guess I feel that the fans making the lo-fi criticism are not just ‘oul stick in the muds. They really enjoyed the music as it was. And I’m sure the band didn’t record it that way out of necessity rather aesthetic reasons. I’m not saying they are loaded, just that they could have initially recorded it differently, but the reason they chose not to was more of an aesthetic than a necessity reason.
BTW I am a lo-fi junkie who loves fight like apes and prefers a few of the originals 😉
I know. Fair enough. I just think the newer versions are slightly better by virtue of them being a better band at that point.
Well, regardless of the new or old versions, I genuinely do think it is the most exciting Irish album to come out in a while and the fact that people are arguing back and forth about it like this can only be a good thing eh?
AGREED!
I have decided to start the backlash,. Beginning now.
i agree with a lot of what gardenhead has said above but when i listened to the album my initial reaction was i didnt like it. its an awkward position to be in because those old tracks are huge selling points for the album but not rerecording them would have been ludacris.
i think the worst thing people can do is criticise them for changing, that is being totally counter productive. im just airing my opinion that i dont like the album!