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Archived Reviews
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Even to anyone totally unaware of Deviant UK mainman Jay Smith's Numan-impersonating past with Play Like God/The Numan Principle it's immediately apparent just who his main influence is on this trio's debut album. Not only does his voice continue to evoke the Numan spirit (albeit in a slightly more high-piched manner!) but so do the infectious, albeit rather simplistic, synthleads that make their mark on virtually every track & work well against a background of scorching rock guitars & danceable industrial rhythms which do add a more modern touch to proceedings. The anti-god/religion lyrics that pop up regularly evoke Numan's more recent works although I suspect this is more a shared point-of-view rather than a direct influence - at one point Smith even seems to offer himself up as God's replacement which would give some idea of his massive ego even if he hadn't already freely admitted to it!! And if you're of a mind to do so, you can also play a good game of spotting the Numan-quotes in the lyrics, eg: the line 'all that we are' on 'Time Is The Disease' which is on Engineers of course, being one example. Throughout, the album evokes the heady days of 1979 which I'm always a sucker for & the first half of the album in particular boasts some cracking tracks in the form of the jaunty & instantly infectious 'What's Your Malfunction' & the slower but no less powerful 'Me Without You' where the personal lyrics show a slightly more thoughtful approach. A ticking clock forms the backbone of 'Time Is The Disease' which reminds me slightly of Sly Stone's Let's Go All The Way, strangely enough & the way in which the relatively laidback piece leads straight into the pacey 'Target Aquired' is another good move, making the contrast all the more effective. By now, however, it's all beginning to get a bit samey in terms of musical expression as well as the limited pallette of synth sounds. That's not to say that the following tracks don't have plenty to commend them as the anthemic feel of the already well-loved 'Access Denied' has lost none of its potency but, when listening to the album in one sitting, it starts to get a bit predictable which might not do its longevity any favours. The choir sample that opens 'We Believe' could have added a more imaginative ambience had it been incorporated more into the music but this is likely something that will come with experience & by making friends with bands such as Rotersand & Project Pitchfork he'll be able to learn from the very best & progress further on future releases. |
