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The Maccabees - Colour It In Noel Gallagher commented during the writing process of (What's the Story) Morning Glory, that he was a bit anxious about what he was going to write about now, as, he explained, he had poured all his efforts into Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe. Given that at that moment in time, the whole of the UK was in the grip of Oasis fever, and Liam & Co (especially Liam) where swaggering the streets of the UK like man never swaggered before, that comment revealed a rare shadow of doubt within the mindset of the all-conquering Oasis camp, but as Noel was hinting, debut albums are a very special thing indeed.
In effect, a bands debut contains a concentrated collection of emotions and experiences of a group of frustrated young individuals, up until a particular moment in time. It's the album that they carried in the back of a rusty transit van trecking endless motorways and side roads, playing in working mens clubs and pubs. It's the album they spend, in effect, (and unwittingly) their whole life to that point writing. The one that contains the songs that gets them their record deal, the one that makes the dream something of a reality, and the one that mostly finds the band at their most hungry. This sense of raw, undiluted, eyes wide open enthusiasm is what greets the listener when introduced to the world of The Maccabees, and their debut long player, Colour It In.
Beginning with a royal parade-esque drum roll, and with a vocal seemingly sung through one of those old-school 'welcome to the BBC, God Save The Queen' microphones, it's a striking, dignified and very 'British' start to the album. From here on in however the funs really starts. Second track, and the bands first single, X-Ray, see's drummer Robert Thomas roll his sleeves up and begin a vicious assault on his skins that won't stop until the albums penultimate track. It's a wickedly fast number that definitely sets the band's stall out for the remainder of the album.
Of the early tracks on the album, live favourite Latchmere stands out most. With it's incessant drumming, interwined with quickfire vocals, and it's surreal chorus chant 'Return to the shores please, return to your cubicles, Return to the shores please, return to your cubicles, Latchmere's (pause) got a wave machine' it's an upbeat and very idiosyncratic track that, well, manages to make 3 minutes moshing to a song about a Leisure Centre seem somehow wholly appropriate.
Four click's of Thomas' drumsticks launches us into the forthcoming single 'About Your Dress'. Whilst a great track in itself, it's worth a trip over to the bands website to view the accompanying video. Made entirely by the band, and edited by one of their younger brothers it relays through the power of fingertips adorned with miniature clothes the story of a night out on the pull and the details of things that occur on a night out that you and I take for granted, but that these guys turn into a spunky 2 minutes of pop perfection.
Precious Time, keeps the pace flying as we are invited to take time out and 'play Super-Scaletrix', and offered up the advice, 'we all need time, so lets make time work for us'. At over four minutes, its the longest track on the album, and it's interesting what the guys have done with that extra minute and or so. Whilst all other tracks, with the exception of the albums entry point and closer, fly along at a heck of a pace, midway through this, the guys draw breath, line up and slip into chant mode, as they repeatedly cry out 'lets. take. our. precious. time. about. it.', but just you think it's all going to go a bit Kaiser Chiefs, the chanting is pulled back and we close with a one to one with frontman Orlando Weeks as he purrs 'time can mean so much, are you still mine...'.
On that note, it's worth mentioning the vocal style of Weeks. Like his Maximo Park counterpart, Paul Smith, he sings in a very pronounced manner, but whereas Smith's vocals link him instantly with his native north-east England, Week's is that of an altogether more generic, working class accent, it's very much 'tomato', not 'tamaytoe'. Given the down to earth subject matters included in the album, (Scaletrix, Leisure Centres, Lego, marriage, leopard print bed spreads that appear exotic etc) it's a vocal performance that suits the albums narrative perfectly , and amplifies the assured song writing skills on display.
Back to the albums itself now, as it continues at a verocity a boxer pinning his opponent to the ropes would be proud of. Of the second half, Happy Faces and former single First Love stand tallest, particularly so given the subject matter. As mentioned earlier, where a bands debut album sees them plotting a course for greater things, so this track reads like a script for the path to happy life inc., it's all about leaving home, ticking boxes, getting married and laying down on the aforementioned leopard print bedspreads. Lego brings the album to close - well kind of. Had this been the album closer we would have ourselves a tight, 12 track album that from the outset picks up the listener, takes them on a journey of life in Britain today through the perceptive eyes of these hotly tipped young guns and dropped off at the end panting for more, but something strange, and at odds with the rest of the album happens on track 13 - it all goes a bit Ray Davies.
Toothpaste Kisses finds Weeks back behind the old BBC microphone again (although not to the same extent that opened the album), with an accompanyment that verges on the button labelled calypso. Whilst the guys are obviously fans of The Kinks and perhaps see this track as their Waterloo Sunset (there's even whistling at the end!) it's the albums weakest track by far and completely at odds with all that has come before.
That closing track aside, Colour It In is a great debut album, and whilst bands such as The View and The Klaxons grab all the headlines, these guys and this album in particular should stand tall as an example of whats possible if you sit down with group of likeminded individuals, grab some instruments and put pen to paper to relay to a captive audience what you've done and what you've worked out about life so far. Whilst the guys have numerous tour dates, interviews, photoshoots etc ahead before they even get to the second album fear that Gallagher mentioned, we should for now take stock, sit back and enjoy what the The Maccabees have done to date. And forgive them for that last track.
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