Review Summary: Solid outing with an original concept, but marred by excessive repetition.
I have a confession to make: I can’t dance. It’s part of the reason I don’t go to clubs (other factors include me having no friends and hating club techno). I have said time and time again that if they played some sort of rock, or even radio-pop, in clubs, I’d know how to dance to it. But somehow I never managed to get my feet around the thumping beats and mindless vocals of techno/electro and its myriad derivations. The fact that I loathe anything beat- or club-driven does not help, either.
In that sense, And Then There Were None are groundbreakers in two fronts: not only did they manage to get me dancing to their songs, they actually got me excited about an electro band, something that hadn’t happened since The Prodigy hit my speakers around 1996. Some of this may have to do with the fact that they come from a metalcore background. Yes, metalcore. Hearing their music, you’d never tell, but according to Wikipedia and Allmusic, this band started out with gruff vocals and downtuned riffs. A few formation changes later, their style switched to “Euro-dance beats with a punk rock backbone”, a description which is perfectly descriptive of the group’s sound.
In fact, ATTWN’s sound is an anomaly in their label, Tooth and Nail Records, usually focused on metal, emo and punk-core. This band’s music, on the other hand, can best be described as a mixture of The Bravery, Depeche Mode, and some lame one-hit band from one of those summer dance compilations. The group mix forlorn, emo-esque vocals with techno backbeats and a heavy synth segment which, at times, sounds like something you’d expect from Crazy Frog or the Vengaboys. Sound cheesy? Yeah, maybe it is, but it works pretty well on the eleven tracks (plus the mandatory pointless intro) of their sophomore effort,
Who Speaks For Planet Earth?
First track proper,
John Orr The Arsonist, lays down the foundation of the band’s sound, which is then perfected in first highlight
The Hospital and kept throughout the remaining tracks. Each song is built around a cheesy keyboard line and a thudding techno beat, over which Matt Rhoades lays his strained, emotional voice, which at times seems about to break down or run out of breath. There is also a slight, industrial guitar sound buzzing somewhere in the background, although at times you’ll doubt if this band has any real instruments. They do, they have no less than
two guitarists and a drummer, although there’s no bassist. However, these members are seriously underused, with all the focus being given to the synths and the programming, as well as Rhoades’ vocals.
With the passing of each track, a problem begins to arise: excessive repetition. I swear the group only has one drum loop in their laptop, because they use it in
every single song. Even when they threaten to grace us with a ballad (
Thank The Watchmaker), it doesn’t take long for
that damn beat to come back in. Sure, it gets us bopping, but guys…why just one!?
As it is, it’s up to the keyboards to establish the difference between each track. And they do, giving each song a distinctive personality, even if some of the lines seem to hark back to previous songs. Rhoades also proves to be an apt creator of catchy choruses, which are probably the element the songs will be most remembered by. Well-crafted and incredibly sticky, these sections prove to be the defining element that sets the standouts from the fillers. Songs that lack in this department (
Action is the Anecdote and
Cloak and Dagger in particular) have a massive disadvantage in relation to their counterparts, while the hugest choruses easily set themselves aside from the rest.
Best track on here? Easy. By far, the Richard Marx cover
Right Here Waiting. With a synth line straight out of Crazy Frog and a chorus that will stick in your head at first listen, this song must be heard to be believed. I’m not ashamed to say I bopped around to it right on the street, in my Ramones shirt, not caring who saw me.
But just because the best song is a cover, doesn ‘t mean the others are duds. Joining
Right Here Waiting in the standout group are
The Hospital, a track with a slightly different tempo and another great chorus, and closer
Insozzz…, which apart from the clever title, has another memorable chorus section and synth line. A little behind, but still leading the pack, come songs like
Reinventing Robert Cohn, a good entry point into the band’s sound,
John Orr The Arsonist, and
The Alamo. As noted, there are a couple of weaker songs, as well, but they are tolerable.
Before we sum up the album, I want to mention the lyrics. Most of them deal with the effects of ending a relationship, but are addressed in a surprisingly positive light, especially if we consider this band’s background. Lines like
”just call my name and I can meet you there/just call my name and tell me I’ve made you proud/it’s not that far to the hospital/just say you’ll take me/and I’ll be happy” prove that this band have more to do than whine about how unhappy they are.
In conclusion,
Who Speaks For Planet Earth is a solid breakthrough album from a surprisingly and refreshingly original formation, which in the end suffers from repetition issues. Most of the songs feature the same background beat, and Rhoades’ register is not exactly varied, either. Still, an album with
these choruses and
these synths could never be entirely bad. Recommended if you have an open mind and can stand a little cheesiness. Metalcore enthusiasts and Tooth and Nail buffs need not apply.
Recommended Tracks
The Hospital
Right Here Waiting
Insozzz…
