reviews, news & interviews

CD: Glasvegas - Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\

Epic widescreen soundscapes from a band who want to be really big

by david.chealThursday, 31 March 2011

Glasvegas: 'A decent band with a bunch of memorable tunes'

This is the sound of a band who want to be big. Really big. Produced by Flood (The Killers, U2 etc) and recorded in California, the second outing from Scotland’s Glasvegas bursts with epic widescreen soundscapes, its chiming guitars designed to shimmer around arenas and festivals, its throbbing, pulsing synths adding depth and drama, the heavily treated voice of James Allan pleading and hollering.

Whereas last time around they sounded like The Jesus and Mary Chain, now they sound a bit like The Killers (especially on “Euphoria Take My Hand”) or like U2 (especially on “Dream Dream Dreaming”).

It’s also the sound of a band whose ambition outstrips their talent, because Glasvegas are actually just a decent band with a bunch of memorable tunes and a whole lot of the sort of “credibility” that stems from their working-class Glasgow east-end backgrounds and which goes down well with NME-reading types.

This being their second album, it also inevitably lacks the lyrical specificity of their debut; they’re rock stars now, so they can’t really do songs about social workers and young offenders and suchlike – there’s self-pity and self-loathing galore, but it’s seldom rooted in any sort of everyday reality; instead it's vague and drifty.

And it has to be said that the bigness of the thing gets in the way of the songs; it’s overwhelmed by the swirling echoey clang of Flood’s production. Flooded, in fact. There’s too much going on, especially on “Lots Sometimes”, a song that’s blessed with a terrific vocal melody but which is marred by the hyperactive thumping and rattling of new Swedish drummer Jonna Löfgren.

It’s as if Glasvegas feel obliged to live up to the hype that saw them, thanks in part to the efforts of their long-time advocate Alan McGee, described as “the most important band of the 21st century” (or words to that effect). This is a strong collection of songs, but all too often the band’s passion is dwarfed by their ambition.

Watch the video for "Euphoria Take My Hand"

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