Klaxons
Myths of the Near Future
Along
with other ‘next big things’ The View, Klaxons have
had the infamously excitable British music press (not to mention
major labels) salivating since the release of last year’s
Xan Valleys EP. The press attention The View have received for
their lumpen lad-rock is baffling, but Klaxons are a breath of
fresh air – unashamedly poppy and a far cry from the po-faced
parade of haircuts/bands seen in the indie mainstream over the
last few years.
The
band’s tongue-in-cheek description of their music as ‘new
rave’ has been eagerly adopted by the likes of NME, but
it doesn’t tell the full story. A fun cover of Grace’s
‘It’s Not Over Yet’ appears here, but the rave
influence is more apparent in Klaxons’ aesthetics than the
music itself. Although their professed love for rave is undoubtedly
genuine, Klaxons owe more to the early noughties post-punk revival
than acid house.
Myths
of the Near Future’s opener, ‘Two Receivers’,
is unexpectedly subdued given the band’s reputation, but
is a hypnotic and intriguing introduction. It’s immediately
afterwards that the album really kicks into top gear. The Burroughs-referencing
live favourite ‘Atlantis to Interzone’ is a real gem,
relentlessly energetic with delightfully chunky synths and bass.
Recent
single ‘Golden Skans’ is a laid-back highlight, demonstrating
the band’s ability to step comfortably outside their self-induced
pigeonhole. ‘Totem on the Timeline’, by contrast,
is a more aggressive slice of infectious electro-rock, whilst
‘Gravity’s Rainbow’ is sure to cause riots at
indie discos everywhere.
The
best thing about Klaxons is their willingness to experiment, neatly
side-stepping the potential constraints of a term as narrow as
‘new rave’. Not everything on the album is as thrilling
as ‘Atlantis to Interzone’ (namely ‘Isle of
Her’), but the sheer variety on offer is certainly welcome.
Looking
past the hype, Myths of the Near Future is a strong debut from
an exciting young band, and if any album in 2007 can persuade
indie kids to drop the scowls and report to the dancefloor, this
could very well be it.
by Tom Blackburn
