It’s now more than 10 years since The Subways came roaring out of Hertfordshire in late 2004 with their adrenaline-charged debut single, “At 1 am”. Since then they’ve released three albums which have all threatened, but failed, to deliver the widespread commercial success which the band certainly deserves. Their self-titled fourth album sees the Subways on familiar territory with plenty of catchy tunes and sing-along choruses and has the potential to finally move their career up a gear.
Last year’s single, “My heart is pumping to a brand new beat” opens things up with a classy, Blondie-esque piece of lively New Wave pop that sets the pace for the rest of the album. Other highlights include the summery punk pop of “Good times”, which suggests more than a hint of the Boo Radleys’ Brit Pop perennial “Wake up Boo!”, and “We get around”, which is reminiscent of the wide-eyed teenage rush of their 2005 debut album, Young For Eternity. That said, with the possible exception of the angsty ballad “Because of you”, there isn’t actually a duff track on The Subways.
Melodic but high-octane tunes are pretty much the order of the day throughout, with guitarist Billy Lund generally handling vocals that range from the spoken-sung to throat-shredding screaming. He is joined for some inspired duetting by bassist Charlotte Cooper on “Just like Jude” and “Taking all the blame”. But it is on “Twisted game” and “I’m in love and it’s burning my soul”, with its rocking riffs and sleazy groove that this partnership really bears fruit.
It has to be hoped that God really does love a tryer because The Subways isn’t hugely different to the band’s previous albums. It is, however, certainly worthy of bringing the acclaim that has been missing to date.
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