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Right now, The Departure are living the dream. Formed in January 2004, they signed to Parlophone after eleven gigs, showcasing just six songs. Impressive to say the least. And this is Parlophone we're talking about here, not Alan McGee's 'a-band-a-day-keeps-the-midlife-crisis-at-bay' Poptones label. So what did they see in them?
Well that's pretty easy - by singer David Jones own admission, "It must have been because we looked so good". And look good they do. Uniform haircuts with textbook fringework, a liberal sprinkling of eyeliner, and an appreciation of quality footwear. A scarf here, a tie there, it's all good stuff. And fair play to them. Music has been as much about style as substance ever since Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil, Elvis put on his leathers for his comeback special and Bowie became the alien. So there's nothing wrong with that, and The Departure are no mugs at it.
When it comes to what the A&R heard, it gets a bit less obvious, at least on the evidence of this song. From his vocal enunciation Jones fancies himself as a bit of a Bowie, but his tone is more like an anglophiled Brian Molko, whilst his lyrics, 'Won't you be my enemy, it's easier that way', maintain a nice Joy Divisional sense of despair. The angular guitars don't exactly back away from this, but Sam Harvey's lead does seem to be trying to inject a shot of underlying melody from the vein of Johnny Marr or Bernard Butler - without ever reaching such dizzy heights - along with the obligatory scratched post-punk moments. A couple of curmudgeonly time changes momentarily break up the stomping rhythm, powered along by a nicely funky bass line, the only possible purpose being to remind us that hey, these boys are artists, you know? A lot of influences then, spread across vaguely dissonant parts that don't quite make the whole.
The Departure want to make "dark music you can dance to" and are having a good go at it, certainly, more than a few feet will be marching along to "Be My Enemy" this weekend. But at the moment, there are bands out there who are doing it better. Interpol are darker, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers more accomplishedly ebullient, and whether they like it or not, it's alongside bands like these that The Departure are setting themselves with their open worship at the altar of the 80s. They haven't as yet got the same substance to match the style that got them here, and as far as they've come in a year, in the face of such stiff competition, if they don't take-off soon the dream might not last another one.
Well that's pretty easy - by singer David Jones own admission, "It must have been because we looked so good". And look good they do. Uniform haircuts with textbook fringework, a liberal sprinkling of eyeliner, and an appreciation of quality footwear. A scarf here, a tie there, it's all good stuff. And fair play to them. Music has been as much about style as substance ever since Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil, Elvis put on his leathers for his comeback special and Bowie became the alien. So there's nothing wrong with that, and The Departure are no mugs at it.
When it comes to what the A&R heard, it gets a bit less obvious, at least on the evidence of this song. From his vocal enunciation Jones fancies himself as a bit of a Bowie, but his tone is more like an anglophiled Brian Molko, whilst his lyrics, 'Won't you be my enemy, it's easier that way', maintain a nice Joy Divisional sense of despair. The angular guitars don't exactly back away from this, but Sam Harvey's lead does seem to be trying to inject a shot of underlying melody from the vein of Johnny Marr or Bernard Butler - without ever reaching such dizzy heights - along with the obligatory scratched post-punk moments. A couple of curmudgeonly time changes momentarily break up the stomping rhythm, powered along by a nicely funky bass line, the only possible purpose being to remind us that hey, these boys are artists, you know? A lot of influences then, spread across vaguely dissonant parts that don't quite make the whole.
The Departure want to make "dark music you can dance to" and are having a good go at it, certainly, more than a few feet will be marching along to "Be My Enemy" this weekend. But at the moment, there are bands out there who are doing it better. Interpol are darker, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers more accomplishedly ebullient, and whether they like it or not, it's alongside bands like these that The Departure are setting themselves with their open worship at the altar of the 80s. They haven't as yet got the same substance to match the style that got them here, and as far as they've come in a year, in the face of such stiff competition, if they don't take-off soon the dream might not last another one.
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