Film School - Hideout (Beggars Banquet)
3/5
By: Alex Lee Thomson
Showing how yet again the Americans are a few steps ahead of us when it comes to rock music, Film School are back with their second album in the shape of 'Hideout', a Bloc Party-ish growl of psychedelic alternative rock music.
Not so much about the melodies as it is the clattering of guitars, which do struggle to break free of the shoegazing banner, the songs on this LP aren't about throwing yourself around a mosh pit as much as they're about sitting in your room with bottle of Jack Daniels and a packet of cigars. Not that this is a bad thing, in fact it's been a while since we'd had an album so rich in tapestretic splendour, this being the first album in a long time you could turn on and tune out as they said in the 80s. This record in many ways is the kind of dark-pop that Radiohead used to do, before they went all melancholy on us.
Dejected ethos aside, there's suitable guitar talent here, real showmanship and an obvious display of generous thought into the albums production, 'Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl' sounding like it's come off an old Led Zep album, or one of those other ones your dad probably has in the attic that never did quite well enough but had its own devoted fan base anyway. This too also has a prog-rock appeal, and though you'll probably not love it much now, will possibly be one heck of a listen in a few years, like an anti-Snow Patrol that goes against the anthem led generation of upstarts making the trend for gigantic, short-shelf-life songs. In that respect this album has more potential than the second Bloc Party record which had just one too many moments of garish pop to allow it longevity, however without anything even close to a truly memorable riff or chord progression, this CD will only serve as an end-of-night comedown-ish escape of exuberance.
One to hear, and leave towards the front of your record collection, and if you find yourself alone on Christmas, certainly one to be enjoyed over a bottle of whiskey as an alternative to the seasonal Top Of The Pops 2. Good music, but a lack of songs... heck, maybe they've more in common with Radiohead than we thought.
Stream four tracks from 'Hideout' HERE.
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