British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

I'll confess to having been a little disappointed with British Sea Power's second album Open Season after the promise of their debut The Decline of British Sea Power. But Do You Like Rock Music? sees them coming back, all guns blazing, and sounding more confident than ever.

We're invited in by opener All In It but things really get started with Lights Out For Darker Skies a perfect example of their enlarged sound, almost two tracks in one. Atom is another track bursting at the seams with noise and energy and winding up with what sounds like an air raid siren. Their new exuberance shows on No Lucifer with chants of 'easy, easy' building up and bringing back memories of Big Daddy on Saturday evening and football chants. This anthemic quality hits its stride on the first single Waving Flags which unlike most crowd pleasers is actually a welcome to Eastern European immigrants coming to the UK. You see, you can always rely on BSP for a lyrical surprise. Canvey Island opens with the bird flu inspired 'H5N1/Killed a wild swan' and then goes on to describe the flooding of Canvey Island in 1953. Oasis they aren't.

Similarities to Arcade Fire are clear to hear and certain post-punk tendencies. Instrumental The Great Skua sounds a little Godspeed You! Black Emperor (whose co-founder Efrim Menuck is a producer) and is named after a bird maintaing BSP's ornithological interest. The album loses steam towards the end and closing track We Close Our Eyes seems a little pointless but they are so much more interesting than a lot of bands out there so I hope this album gives them a shot at some chart success. It certainly deserves to.

British Sea Power - No Lucifer