Supergrass - 'Road To Rouen' (Parlophone)
3/5
By: Lauren Gallagher
Well, the Oxford boys have grown up, and not without a few wrinkles. Now more than a decade old, Supergrass have produced the requisite, post-greatest-hits album in the form of 'Road to Rouen'. It falls into the awkward, 'can they still do it' category. If they can't still do it, will they at least age gracefully? Or merely produce a group of MOR songs of mediocrity? Let's see.
The nimble, acoustic introduction of 'Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 and 6)' gives way to the use of brass, some serious funk, and a chopped-up blues riff, setting the stage for the layered orchestration and psychedelia that infiltrate the whole of 'Road to Rouen.' Nothing offensive, nor terribly exciting here.
'Sad Girl,' and 'Kick In The Teeth', both owe a hefty debt to The Beatles (who doesn't), but here it's particularly prevalent; the former echoes 'I Am The Walrus' in its yelping chants, which frankly, was quite enough the first time around. A hypothetical b-side somewhere between 'Help!' and 'Rubber Soul', 'Kick In The Teeth' struts onstage with the same guts as 'Drive My Car', tambourine included. With its steadfast guitar, 'Kick' is quite possibly the most enjoyable song on the album, despite the Oasis copycat-ing. Though energetic, it's hardly as aggressive as its title suggests. In its first few bars, 'Low C' could pass as a solo Lennon effort, its nasally vocals and acoustic strumming producing a wavy, dreamy reflection.
Best known for their energy and sheer fun, Supergrass probably surprised a few folks with their release of single 'St. Petersburg' last month. It would be a stellar tune for exploring dilapidated, abandoned buildings in complete isolation, with a dark grey sky brooding above. Although it plods along with a slight bounce, it's hardly a fist-pumping crowd-pleaser, nor does it need to be. 'Roxy' opens like a chamber pop masterpiece a la Ed Harcourt, and meanders for six minutes. With a stunning string quartet hitting its climax halfway through the song, it builds up and churns out into the soundtrack of a discordant tea dance. Three cheers for variety on this one.
So what is fun about 'Rouen'? It's not exactly a normal 'choon', but yours truly took great delight in the brief quirkiness of 'Coffee In The Pot'. A random instrumental number, it sounds as if it should be played in an Eastern European cafe by a local folk group, where everyone swigs a shot when the men shout 'Hey!' and stomp their feet.
All in all, this is not adding up well in the department of 'great comeback' albums. Regardless to any comparisons to Supergrass' previous work, 'Road To...' is not particularly strong on songwriting; overt influences make many songs predictable, with the exception of the kooky 'Coffee'. The song-craft isn't bad; it just doesn't have much bite. The overall mood is lackadaisical, occasionally glum, but without the desperation of wrist-slitting misery. These boys are too nice for that. 'Road's character is tempered, the tone a bit 'rainy day'. And we don't mind when artists shift moods and mature, like a fine wine, but if they do, it had better be the best vintage we've ever had. Supergrass are still capable of giving us vintage Bordeaux; unfortunately, at times, they can also boast a Sainsbury's mid-range.
Artists in this article: Supergrass
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