Send "The Subways " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 Barring writers block, one of the most frustrating aspects of reviewing music is when the writer is fully aware that the words they have written do not necessarily match up with the album rating that is most likely to be the first port of call for a reader. As much as objectivity is required, there are times when an album's shortcomings can be overlooked for the good of the overall product. This is when music should be listened to without a pen or keyboard in sight... And no release in recent memory has given this reviewer that exact feeling more than 'Money and Celebrity', the straight-forward third LP from English trio The Subways. Following the release of their promising, if inconsistent and derivative, debut LP in 2005, the young indie rockers struck pay-dirt on the Butch Vig produced follow-up 'All or Nothing'. Lord knows what they were waffling on about, but it was pure unbridled joy singing along to 'Shake Shake' and 'Girls & Boys', while the insistent pounding of drummer Josh Morgan on 'Always Tomorrow' made for a head-banging moment that - dare I say it - recalled 'Bohemian Rhapsody'! This time around, producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur, Kaiser Chiefs) tones down the stadium ambitions a little, but continues to allow The Subways to do what they do best; enthusiastically rock out. Simplicity is the name of the game here, with the trio seemingly giving hope to many an amateur musician, who are likely to be able to play along with most of the tracks. To put it bluntly, almost every facet of The Subways performance on 'Money and Celebrity' could be picked apart if one was so inclined. With a half-hearted attempt at linking its 12 tracks through the tired theme of celebrity over-exposure, the lyrics are standard at best. While extremely fan-friendly, the guitar-work is anything but complex, and the bouncy riffs of 'It's a Party!' and 'Celebrity' will instigate a game of "Where have I heard that before"? Variety is also at a premium, with the lack of any curve-balls resulting in a rather predictable affair. Vocally, neither Billy Lunn or Charlotte Cooper possess technically proficient voices, although they do carry an every person charm which makes them effectively likeable. In truth, the boy-girl vocal dynamic is not explored to its utmost, as Cooper mostly contributes to the choruses only. The denser sound, pronounced bass and driving riffs of the strong 'Rumour' verge on containing a call & response approach, which is one technique the outfit could further integrate in the future....full text |
| Musicomh |
| The Subways may have missed the boat as far as commercial success goes. Their style of guitar-based indie pop/rock, trendy when the band started out nine years ago, has gone out of fashion. After their promising punky first album Young For Eternity they looked likely to make an impact, but the follow-up All Or Nothing, on Warner, a more American-sounding, grungy affair, wasn’t the big hit expected from a major label. After another three-year gap, and now with Cooking Vinyl, their Stephen Street-produced Money And Celebrity could be The Subways’ last shot at the big time. As its title suggests, the album is themed around our materialistic, fame-obsessed society. Songwriter Billy Lunn’s lyrics are not exactly subtle but they make their point directly, while the music is equally accessible if lacking originality. The 11 shortish songs are instantly appealing with catchy tunes and sing-along choruses but not always sufficiently interesting to bear repeated listens. The high-octane opener It’s A Party is one of the strongest tracks, capturing a heady adrenaline buzz, with nicely complementary male/female harmonies on the chorus from Lunn and bassist Charlotte Cooper. It’s not clear if lyrics like “It’s a party, don’t you know it don’t get much better / We gonna make it such an awesome party” reflect good clean fun or escapist hedonism. The equally celebratory first single We Don't Need Money To Have A Good Time is another up tempo number, with a slightly more abrasive feel from Lunn’s punky chord changes and Josh Morgan’s heavy drumming. “Not gonna be the one to stay inside alone / Not gonna be the one to sit there by the phone” Lunn sings defiantly....full text |
| Themusicservice |
| Album number three by this English power –pop/rock band sees them treading water. It’s been three years since the Subways released their sophomore album All or Nothing. In that time, the band have spent considerable time touring the record, and also working away in the studio recording the follow-up record. At the same time, the very face of the music industry has changed, with many of the guitar bands that once dominated the charts being replaced with pop and R n’ B artists. So in this these harsher times, is the band’s music still as relevant as it once was…. … Unfortunately the answer to this question is no. When the band burst onto the music scene in 2005, they were heralded as the UK’s answer to the White Stripes, and this comparison was valid due in part to the fact that they were writing memorable rock songs such as Rock & Roll Queen which lasted under three minutes. The band are still using this formula on their latest album, but after six years and three records, this formula is beginning to feel stale. The band latest effort Money and Celebrity, sees the band deal with two subjects: money and the celebrity obsessed culture we live in. Opening tracks It’s a Party! And We Don’t Need Money To Have a Good Time are the most obvious examples of the band dealing with these topics, with the band stating “Not gonna be the fools who don’t know who they are, Not gonna be the fools who say blah blah blah” highlighting the record major issue – the poor lyrics. While I am not usually one for overly criticising band’s lyrics, I feel that when a band decide to try and tackle somewhat serious and topical issues, the lyrics of the songs should be insightful and offer some fresh take on the topics being discussed. The track non Money and Celebrity offer neither of these things. The other major issue with the record is that the tracks on the record lack the band’s trademark knack for writing memorable guitar hooks. While there are a few exceptions to this rule such as Its a Party! and Kiss Kiss Band Bang, the majority of the tracks feel like they were written by a band going through the motions and not really attempting to connect with their listeners. Before I present my conclusions about the record, make sure to check out the video for We Don’t Need Money To Have a Good Time, which is posted below....full text |
The Subways lyrics
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