The Rakes are a post-punk band from London that writes songs from the perspective of the urban white-collar worker. This might not sound like a cool persona for a rock band, but throughout their debut, Capture/Release, The Rakes offer a depiction of middle class malaise that’s sharply detailed, a bit bawdy, and captivating enough to match the excitement of their angular beats and ringing punk-pop. Taking nods from the speedy guitar sound of The Jam and The Clash, and the jittery dance influenced beats of Bloc Party and The Futureheads, the album retains a lot of punch throughout all twelve tracks. The best songs on the album excel on the charms of lead singer Alan Donohoe, whose garbled London brogue and off-the-cuff delivery make him sound like the trimmer, more fashionable brother of The Wedding Present’s David Gedge. Perpetually hung up on the banalities and farces of his life, Donohoe reaches some simple truths on songs such as “Open Book”, when he sings of a lover “You are not an open book/Can’t do nothing about that./I’m worried, I’m overdrawn/Can’t do nothing about that. Donohoe’s wit also sells standout track “22 Grand Job”, a manic tongue in cheek punk anthem about the pride of having a stable job in the city. Equally as witty, and considerably more earnest is “Work, Work, Work, (Pub, Club, Sleep)”, one of many songs on the album about how weeknight trips to the pub for a pint and a casual cruise, can be equally as discouraging yet just as mandatory as a day at the office. After trudging into work after a night out, Donohoe sings “I’ve got the same shirt on 14 days in a row/Soy sauce stain so that everyone knows/ Shower and scrub, still smell like the smoke and beer of a Weatherspoons pub”.
Throughout Capture/Release, The Rakes deliver tuneful songwriting and solid frenzied playing that includes some nice post punk flourishes like the new wave synth in “Binary Love”, and the reggae rhythms of “Violent”. Though thoroughly well crafted, Capture/Release is less dynamic than similar sounding releases by British post-punkers Bloc Party and Maximo Park whose recent albums were also produced by edgy mastermind Paul Epworth. Writing from the perspective of the twenty something 9-5’er, is the trait that distinguishes The Rakes from these other bands, but this perspective never comes off as trite or boring, which is a real feat considering that white-collar jobs are not very rock and roll. The Rakes succeed on Capture/Release precisely because they see the humor in their plight, while at the same time imbuing each song with an affecting emotional context that compliments their jagged musical edges. “Retreat”, a tale of a charged pub crawl, balances this self awareness and emotional investment when Donohoe sings “Should I give my money to a good cause, or save it for a Holiday/In a couple of months I could be in paradise/But the girl at the bar is well nice and she’s looking over/It’s only right that I get the next round”. If nothing else, Capture/Release is destined to become a hit on the i-pods of white-collar blokes on their daily hung-over trudge to another day of work. |