(Muso's Guide, December 19, 2008)
Single reviews
There’s a school of thought which believes songs which remind you of something else are tantamount to music perfection. After all, something which sounds like you have already heard it brings together the best elements of tunes you already know, tricking your ear into thinking that it’s already been a fully-formed tune in your head. That, or it’s derivative, unexciting pap.
First track off the new single from French post-punkers Underground Railroad is ‘25′, and it’s a tough call whether it’s so new it’s old or so old it’s out.
The chiming guitars and slack beat make the sound musically reminiscent of histrionic 1990s Aberdeen indie also-rans Geneva, while vocalist/guitarist Marion Andrau spouts impossibly cool, louche lyrics over an echoing guitar line - “I don’t wanna pay, I don’t wanna pay… for another day”. It truly sounds like something you’ve heard a hundred times before, but in the best of ways - it’s the musical equivalent of an old friend.
Sad, then, that its effortlessly hip sound is somewhat overshadowed by the dirgey, unimaginative, at-least-one-minute-too-long rock assault of ‘NYC (Money Money)’. Kicking in like something Kurt shunted off Incesticide for being too inaccessible, it appears to be concerned only with the central conceit - “I wanna be in New York City with plenty of money,” bellows vocalist/drummer Raphael Mura. Repetitive guitar riffs over an uneven beat, and occasional shouts of “Money money” make the whole thing vaguely unpalatable. Like an unsettling artistic installation, ‘NYC (Money Money)’ leaves you feeling uneasy and slightly abused.
Underground Railroad are French indie-rockers living in London, and should be cooler than cool. On ‘25′, they make a real play for that timeless classic, and of the 10 tracks of their recent album Sticks And Stones, it is definitely the stand-out. But following it up with the tuneless, wonk rock of ‘NYC (Money Money)’ is just a real shame.
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