Stereophonics - Keep Calm and Carry On

This week sees the release of Keep Calm And Carry On, Stereophonics’ first release since 2008’s 'Best of...’ compilation Decade in the Sun. With eight albums behind them and Brit-pop champions Oasis out of the way this should be the Stereophonics’ high time. But with such big boots to fill, will they deliver?

Vocalist Kelly Jones has revealed that the blueprint for Keep Calm And Carry On was to make an album ‘as strong as a debut album’, and perhaps that’s what they need to do. The set list for the current promotional tour is particularly telling: split predominantly three ways, their show is weighted towards the hit-parade of their first two albums, diced with a large helping of new material and only casting a glance over their other five albums, curiously over-looking all three singles from previous original release Pull The Pin. But what does the album sound like?

First single ‘Innocent’ has been no stranger to the airwaves over the past month. This chirpy number is a cluster of hooks and spelled high hopes for the rest of the album, hopes realised in opening track ‘She’s Alright’. With its sparse guitar riff over a synth beat, building to a sonic brawl, the song sees a modernization on the ‘Phonics sound, and this is no anomaly. Tinges of electro and synth punctuate the album with ‘Beerbottle’ borrowing sounds from the R&B camp and the airy ‘Wonder’ with its well placed synth strings. However, these additions don’t always fall comfortably. Whilst one foot steps into a modern sound, with the other Kelly and his band of merry men settle into the groove as a self-proclaimed ‘good time rock n’ roll band’ with the swagger-laden ‘Trouble’ and ‘I Got Your Number’. Armed with razor riffs and galloping into memorable choruses, these are the album’s better tracks. But after these highlights many of the songs show little departure from 2008’s Pull the Pin: newcomer ‘100mph’ tipping more than a wink at forerunner ‘Daisy Lane’, whilst the droning chorus of ‘Could You Be the One?’ echoes that of previous single ‘It Means Nothing’.

Overall, Keep Calm And Carry On is an album with some great moments, with standout tracks ‘Innocent’ and ‘She’s Alright’ sure to find their place in the hit-catalogue alongside the likes of ‘Dakota’, but unfortunately much of the album seems to be lost in a layered mix of ill-conceived ideas. Whilst their latest will be spinning on my player for the time being, it won’t be too hard to Keep Calm... because there are only a handful of songs to get excited about.

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