Singles

Razorlight - In The Morning

Emily Tartanella 03/07/2006

Rating: 4/5

The last we checked with Mr. Borrell, the score was World: 1, Ego: 0. After all, a headbutt from Pete Doherty and a severe flip-out from the King Gobshite himself didn't help to back up the boasting. Sure, Up All Night was okay, but it wasn't the masterpiece Johnny would have you believe. Not to mention it's been over two years since their debut, and two years is a long time in this business.

And frankly, would anyone be truly devastated if Razorlight just retreated back into their own little world of denial and self-aggrandizement? They've never seemed one of those essential bands, a band that you needed like you needed oxygen. They were just there. And they were decent, even great at times, but something was missing.

Maybe it was humility. Maybe it was a crack in the macho façade. But that's what makes “In The Morning” so refreshing - it's a tale of brutal nights and delusion, of the nostalgic longing for places you don't really remember.

But all this would be utterly rubbish if the music wasn't so powerfully lovely. This isn't the clunky, meandering Razorlight of Up All Night, but instead a killer, keening pop tune. And before you cluck your head at all the sell-out ramifications of that term, give this a listen. Borrell's ambitions may be unfulfilled, but this is a good step.