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Kill Hannah - Wake Up The Sleepers
| Sputnikmusic |
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Most bands are going to play with their sound at some point in their career, it’s almost inevitable. Occasionally this desire to evolve will lead to something great and unique (or at least better), but not usually. Typically, the result of a band’s experimentation will be a mess of poorly executed ideas forced into a vague semblance of their previous musical formula – this is Wake Up the Sleepers in a nutshell. The band have taken their synth-laden alternative rock and tried to force it into a darker, grittier package that also (inexplicably) has them adding an electro/dance element as well. The end result is an album that, overall, fails at delivering the catchy melodies and memorable choruses of the past and also fails at integrating the new elements in any worthwhile manner. The album begins well enough with opening tune, “Radio”, which largely sticks to the band’s previous formula of strong choruses and inventive synth melodies over an alt. rock backdrop, albeit with a grungier guitar tone, but after that things mostly go downhill. The problem with the band attempting a heavier, darker album is that it has sucked all the life out of most of their songs. Despite the tempos, they simply feel lethargic and unremarkable due to the drop in quality choruses and upbeat melodies. Also buried within this album are tracks that take on an electro/dance element that work even less than the band’s newfound grunge styling. This dance component has a tendency to cause the songs to sound cheap and lo-fi when used on its own, and like a metrosexual Orgy when more fully integrated (check out “New York City Speed” for proof). The album’s one bright spot is the song “Mouth to Mouth” due to it being the only track to truly integrate all of the band’s ideas into one entertaining package. The dance beat is energetic and creative, the riffs manage to be gritty and memorable at the same time, the guitar solo is outstanding and it features one of the only really catchy vocal performances on the album....full text |
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| Pluginmusic |
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At one time, Kill Hannah could write a pretty catchy tune. The futuristic sounding electro-rockers have always fallen somewhere between the industrial alt-rock of Nine Inch Nails and the fun, carefree feel of the dance floor. Take, for example, their sexed up track “I Wanna Be A Kennedy.” These days the band has better production values and are no longer Chicago’s best kept secret. On their newest full-length, “Wake Up The Sleepers,” Kill Hannah take some small risks but mostly play it pretty safe. Kill Hannah are straightforward with “Wake Up The Sleepers.” It’s an unspoken message of “turn it up loud and let’s get it on.” Gritty electronics pound like an old Orgy track on probably the album’s best tune, “New York City Speed.” Elsewhere the oddly likable “Why I Have My Grandma’s Sad Eyes” balances delicate verses with heavy electronics while “TOKYO (Dance In The Dust)” drops the charade and just goes for a pounding dance track with a cheering chant spelling “Tokyo.”...full text |
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| 411mania |
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Kill Hannah - Wake Up the Sleepers Review by Daniel Wilcox Mat Devine – vocals Dan Weise – guitar Greg Corner – bass Elias Mallin - drums Track listing: 1. Radio 2. Snowblinded 3. New York City Speed 4. Living in Misery 5. Strobe Lights 6. Why I Have My Grandpa’s Sad Eyes 7. Tokyo (Dance in the Dust) 8. Mouth to Mouth 9. Vultures (Be There for Me) 10. Escape Artistry 11. Acid Rain 12. Laika 13. Promise Me In terms of their sound, Chicago-based outfit have always fallen somewhere in between the industrial grit of Nine Inch Nails and the feel-good feel of the dance floor. About a year ago, however, frontman Mat Devine promised something a little heavier. Devine stated that the record would be “aggressive and heavier than the others. But I am confident fans will enjoy it as we are 200% prepared so we know what to include and not to include. We've always intended to make a heavy album and this is our time." There time it may be, but heavy this record is not. The opening track “Radio” is full of pretty crunching riffs but outside of that, the band more or less stay true to their trademark, futuristic sound, although that may not be a bad thing because the album definitely delivers in other areas. The aforementioned “Radio” is undoubtedly a great way to kick off the album, its fun opening riff dissolving into fun, poppy choruses that are just made for the dance floor. It is, however, a little down beat for Kill Hannah, but the band rectifies that with a much more psychedelic and trippy number titled “Snowblinded.” Its lyrics are splendidly simple, but not in a way that shows the band can’t write songs; these are more affecting and direct lyrics, Divining crooning, “I just want you to know, I think you’re beautiful / I just need you to know how much I care / I just want you to know, you’re fucking beautiful.” The lyrics get much less serious on “New York City Speed,” as Divine demands, “Dance to the rhythm boy, and die young / But make sure we’re having fun.” And that’s essentially what the entire record is, a ton of fun. Fans of the band will obviously be familiar with, and presumably enjoy, Devine’s vocals, but I can certainly see why others may not. It’s a pretty sensual, yet at times frustrating sound he produces that sounds like it’s been heavily influenced by Placebo’s Brian Molko, who I am a huge fan of by the way. Most of the time Devine stays on the right side of a fine line, keeping his voice from becoming grating by hitting some pretty big notes at times. It’s not a vocal performance that dominates the record, or even takes centre stage, but it is one that’s memorable in that it’s one of the most recognizable voices in rock. The acoustic ballad “Living in Misery,” cheesy and cliché as it is, is a great showcase of his talents....full text |
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