Supergrass the poor man's Blur are back with their new album Road to Rouen. It is their first since 2002's Life on Other Planets. An album filled with Brit pop standards delivers just that, simple catchy Brit pop tunes.
On Road to Rouen, Supergrass write depressing songs about love, relationships or lack their of, and of course self-pity. The songs filled with pop melodies and the sweet bouncy voice of lead singer Gaz Coombes, make it impossible to realize the depressing nature of songs.
"Sad Girl" one of the many songs about being lonely tells the story of a girl who lives to be miserable. The sadness shines through with the lines "You've only got yourself/Falling out of love", just showing the results of this girl's misery.
The album's first single St. Petersburg is about wanting to leave wherever you are, and just go to wherever you want, no matter where that may be. In Supergrass' case, the place being St. Petersburg. The song displays a sense of desperation with the lines "Cos in three days I'll be out of here/And it's not a day too soon".
Ironically the album's high point is a song where the band isn't singing. Coffee in the Pot an instrumental that evokes the spirit of a classic 50s surf tune. Other than that the album fails to deliver. The rest of the tracks just showcases the band's influences. One can really hear that bands like Blur, Oasis, even the vocal style of John Lennon heavily influenced the band over the years. Even with those reference points though Supergass just do not create anything new here. If you've picked up one Supergrass album you have heard them all. |