Reality Check - The Teenagers (Album Review)
From France via London, The Teenagers are a lazy-pop trio with a lethargic yet alluring approach to making music. Reality Check marks their LP debut as they continue to ride on the electro wave of 2007, most probably hoping to make the transition from Myspace poster boys to credible long-term outfit. They entered the conscious vein of gossip when the 'hip' kids and early adopters got their hands on their first single, 'Homecoming', early last year, a while before it was officially released on XL subsidiary Merok (home of Klaxons, Crystal Castles etc). Music blogs got the word out pretty quickly and their popularity grew exponentially, with their Myspace appearing everywhere from The Guardian to the video of one of Kate Nash's early tracks, 'Caroline's a Victim'. Countless remixes and a couple of sets at Reading and Leeds later and they've amassed a fairly substantial following; this release, I believe, will satisfy demand.
The polycarbonate incarnation of 'Homecoming' dropped to critical praise in May and was quickly followed by the equally seductive 'Starlett Johansson' which enjoyed similarly positive attention. It's unsurprising that these emerged as the initial single selections because they are undoubtedly the best two songs Reality Check has to offer. The band's other early songs such as 'Fuck Nicole' and 'Sunset Beach' reign supreme over a number of the new additions, although 'Love No' is notably exquisite and shall deservedly be hitting the shelves as their third single on March 10th. The album's chronology plays out like a night of cocaine abuse, starting off upbeat and getting progressively more so until 'Streets of Paris', then catapulting us on a downward, although not necessarily negative, spiral into a crescendo of mellow tracks such as 'French Kiss' to accompany the drug induced insomnia.
Lyrically, Reality Check appears to be rather a tongue-in-cheek affair, packed with a melange of clichés, unabashed vulgarity and sly humour. Whether it's the cheerleader's stereotype laden speech in 'Homecoming' or laughably comic lines such as “have some crisps” in 'French Kiss', there's enough to indicate that they don't take themselves too seriously. That is, unless they believe dancing is a political issue, because then it qualifies as dangerously effective propaganda.
Frustratingly simple, Reality Check is a charming and stylish record. The band's unique brand of sparse guitar riffs combined with delicate drums and elegant synth melodies is irresistible when perfectly executed. However, perfection is not always observed and their early tracks laud over some of the inadequate newcomers - 'Wheel of Fortune' is dismal - which appear to be there solely to make up numbers. Ultimately though, The Teenagers are currently perched on the apex of cool and Reality Check will either enforce their dishevelled brand of chic or rocket them into the mainstream and compromise their position as the cat's pyjamas. Either way, it's a fairly decent album.
7/10
Posted by David | 
January 16, 2008 11:35 PM | Permalink | 
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