Music > Album Reviews
Stereophonics // Graffiti On A Train
31/07/13
I’d read that Stereophonics had hinted in the loosest terms that they’d like to be considered for the next Bond song; it’s no wild idea when you think first of how well Chris Cornell’s growling vocal complimented the grittiness of the movie, and how Kelly Jones’ would do and second: they’ve been working with regular Bond composer David Arnold on this, their eighth studio album. Boy, can you tell – the album’s less of the grounded, paint by numbers rock that was only punctuated by Kelly’s inimitable snarl and turn of phrase, that we’ve come to expect in later ‘Phonics releases. This comes in, all strings blazing. Songs like ‘Graffiti on the Train’, the title track, with a few lyrical changes (exchange ‘Graffiti’ for ‘machete’ and ‘Train’ for ‘Nile’) could sonically underscore any Bond classic. It’s with tracks like ‘Take Me’, which has an eerie female backing vocal and melancholic lament and ‘Roll the Dice’ which journeys through fast and slow, hot and cold moments that you are able to appreciate how far this album has moved on from the formulaic fodder the Valleys boys had become known for. ‘Violins and Tambourines’ has a rhythm and blues swagger and careless lead vocal, before ‘Been Caught Cheating’ kicks in as a soulful blues chant. It then flips schizophrenically to the almost INXS-like ‘In a Moment’ before closing out the album. This is so much an album they wanted to make, not explorations of a blueprint set out for them, and it makes an interesting listen.
7/10 Emma Garwood
I’d read that Stereophonics had hinted in the loosest terms that they’d like to be considered for the next Bond song; it’s no wild idea when you think first of how well Chris Cornell’s growling vocal complimented the grittiness of the movie, and how Kelly Jones’ would do and second: they’ve been working with regular Bond composer David Arnold on this, their eighth studio album. Boy, can you tell – the album’s less of the grounded, paint by numbers rock that was only punctuated by Kelly’s inimitable snarl and turn of phrase, that we’ve come to expect in later ‘Phonics releases. This comes in, all strings blazing. Songs like ‘Graffiti on the Train’, the title track, with a few lyrical changes (exchange ‘Graffiti’ for ‘machete’ and ‘Train’ for ‘Nile’) could sonically underscore any Bond classic. It’s with tracks like ‘Take Me’, which has an eerie female backing vocal and melancholic lament and ‘Roll the Dice’ which journeys through fast and slow, hot and cold moments that you are able to appreciate how far this album has moved on from the formulaic fodder the Valleys boys had become known for. ‘Violins and Tambourines’ has a rhythm and blues swagger and careless lead vocal, before ‘Been Caught Cheating’ kicks in as a soulful blues chant. It then flips schizophrenically to the almost INXS-like ‘In a Moment’ before closing out the album. This is so much an album they wanted to make, not explorations of a blueprint set out for them, and it makes an interesting listen.
7/10 Emma Garwood