Imagine a world where the mid-2000’s never ended. A happier place, full of Hot Topic t-shirts, mighty fringes, jeans tight enough to cut off any blood supply they may ever have again and My Chemical Romance still in existence (and not in that strange neon phase that accompanied ‘Danger Days’).
A time when eyeliner was thick and Madina Lake were on every self respecting teenage rocker’s playlist. A better time for some of us (this writer absolutely included).
Celeb Car Crash could have quite easily been lifted straight from that happy era and into 2016, accompanied with their rather brilliant new album ‘People Are The Best Show’, a lesson in how to do the sound of a decade past for the modern audience.
All things said though, this is no one size fits all sound, with the dual spirits of nineties grunge, with the likes of the Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam being channeled through ‘Outdone’ being a particularly welcome shake up to the 12 offerings collected and gathered here.
Running to around the fifty minute mark, ‘People Are The Best Show’ is the perfect length, allowing for an almost nostalgic feeling to come over us old enough to be nostalgic about such things and to keep newcomers engaged. ‘Because I’m Sad’ features nothing but instantly quotable lyrics to scrawl over your diary/tumblr page (again, this where age will divide we listeners). ‘Enemy’s Desire’ adds a heft dose of Papa Roach spice to the stew of angst on offer, as well as being one of the strongest pieces of music found on this musical disc (download just didn’t sound right).
To sum it up, if you like your rock music to bend the sounds of a decade ago with the smooth production and sleeker rock sounds of now, this is the perfect way to finish up 2016.
Ask santa nicely for a copy of this album.