The Subways - Money andCelebrity

Thu 17th Nov, 2011 in Music Reviews

English alt-rockers The Subways present Money and Celebrity, an album that defies a few lousy first impressions to emerge a solid full-length release.

Those music-enthusiasts only partially acquainted with The Subways’ craft – perhaps through teen-drama The O.C. or RocknRolla – should not expect a great deal of deviation from the perceived norm. Money and Celebrity makes it clear enough that the band have refused any semblance of evolution throughout their career, instead indulging in an apparently stagnant decade. That’s not necessarily said in opposition to their latest album – rather, if you’ve never liked the band, Money and Celebrity offers no entry point of any difference. It’s a rehash of a tried and true formula and one bound to be lapped up by the band’s adoring fan base.

Any such convictions of the record’s success are tested initially, however. Money and Celebrity embarks upon a feeble introduction, beginning with a slice of juvenile pop-rock in It’s A Party. “We’re going to make it an awesome party and you should know it don’t get much sweeter,” promise Billy Lunn and Charlotte Cooper, in the sway of intense fervor. The song’s bare-faced discussion of an impending party is seriously naff. Certainly, as the album’s flagship single, its potential is identifiable. It’s a fairly academic track with a riff ripe for radio play, making the song easy enough to get into. However, It’s A Party is agonisingly lame in its boyish enthusiasm.

Its follow-up – the defiant We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time – perpetuates the poor form. “We’re not gonna be the fools who don’t know who they are. We’re not gonna be the fools who just say blah, blah, blah,” Lunn assures the listener. The Subways’ lyrical misdemeanour serves to illustrate a weakness inherent in their craft. On more than one occasion across Money and Celebrity, the band are in dire need of a truly articulate wordsmith. It only takes one abominable turn of phrase to completely take the wind of out their sails. An example of such a phenomenon hides at the tail-end of the record in the form of the astonishingly uncool Friday.

Fortunately, the record recovers well from its disappointments. Celebrity is the best offering its first quarter, even if its borrows liberally – embarrassingly so – from Bloc Party’s Banquet. I Want To Dance With You shines as the band begin to loosen up and ease their foot off the pedal. The result is an innocuous yet entirely infectious twist-and-shout pop gem. Meanwhile, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is close to college rock perfection, an ideal inclusion to the soundtrack of any American teen film. The album’s sudden success is best attributed to one obvious factor: the mid-section of Money and Celebrity features The Subways not trying quite so hard. Instead, they simply relax and ease back into the killer rock and roll prowess that has defined their career.

Furthermore, Money and Celebrity adequately demonstrates the idea that The Subways should cut their losses and focus on accentuating their merits as a pop-rock band. It’s this insistence upon cultivating a kind of super-serious angst and grit that makes for tedious listening, few impressions surviving as a result. While the diversity would normally be a welcome addition to any album, there’s no doubt that The Subways’ sense of fun beats out their emotional turmoil here.

The bookends of The Subways’ Money and Celebrity, so to speak, should be avoided at all costs. However, an investigation of the material in-between should yield satisfactory listening, with a few fun alt-rock outings on offer.