|
By
The Pop Mechanic
With "22 Grand Job," (preview via iTunes) the Rakes pack enormous horsepower into a sleek, subcompact song. Like early Wire or the Cure, the London-based band strikes a perfect balance of melody, emotion, and energy, with precisely interlocking parts and a spare, tightly coiled arrangement.
After an ironic drumroll, the song launches into a taut groove of drums, spoken-word vocals, and a one-note bass line. An obsessive eighth-note guitar riff enters on the chorus, cycling around mindlessly like a five-finger piano exercise and delivering a fresh kick of adrenaline each time it reappears.
Aside from the corny modulation at the end, the entire song features only two chords. The icepick-in-ear brightness of the production is pure ’80s, and the drums have an incredible slap and attack — they're hard and aggressive, but without the steroid-pumped quality of LA dude-rock.
Vocalist Alan Donohoe's simple, cyclic lyrics don’t try to be philosophical or poetic about the hell of office life — they’re like a mantra repeated under torture. The Siamese-twin vocals on the breakdown evoke Entertainment!-era Gang of Four and hint at a deranged inner dialog. Words and music combine in a sharp snapshot of workplace despair.
The best thing about "22 Grand Job" is that (unlike most office workers) it knows when to quit. At a minute and 46 seconds, the song crams in a full workday's worth of tension and still leaves you buzzing with unspent energy.
Posted December 2006
Send to del.icio.us |
|
