Keep Calm and Carry On

The veterans of Britpop stay sharp

The band Stereophonics was gathered in Wales in 1992. Since that, it reached much success in spite of the tense relations with the critics and the press workers. Well, this collective can be called one of the longest and most solid acts on the Britpop scene. It can be proved by the fact that for all the years the band suffered only one lineup substitute. Last year, the members of Stereophonics drew a line of their lengthy scenic activity by the compilation Decade In The Sun: Best Of Stereophonics, after which they immediately got down to the new, seventh studio attempt. The producing work was fulfilled by soloist Kelly Jones and Mercury Award winner Jim Abiss, famous for his labor with Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian. The long-play got the title Keep Calm & Carry On, which ironically derives from the poster of the same name of the World War Two times – it was targeted to south the British public in the emergency moments. This sharp title can also be interpreted as the hint that Stereophonics members have their business in good state and want to see the same from their army of devoted fans. And you are really going to here the classical rockers on Keep Calm & Carry On, busy with creation of qualitative, hooking music with the strong vocals and riot lyrics, tinted with some philosophic shades.

Stereophonics cheer the devoted fans

The new full-length by the collective is no way revolutionary or targeted to change our view on the songs by the band – it seems to be created rather for giving a huge amount of positive emotions to both the old fans of Stereophonics and devoted appreciators of classical Britpop. The album opens with the harsh, vulnerable bluesy tune She's Alright, narrating of the first date alcohol abuse and its consequences. It is followed by the first single from the album – Innocent, which is a soft and sunny pop punk composition. The track Beerbottle tells of the family integrity and stoicism, it is dark and autobiographic, while the song Could You Be The One? is filled with the allusions on famous pop events like bands and songs. It possesses a big chorus, which is sure to sound gorgeous at a stadium – you do not need to listen twice to realize it. The ironic and cunning composition I’ve Got Your Number is fulfilled in the moods of classical Stereophonics and can be best described as the reluctant, but seductive rock’n’roller. The energetic rock songs Uppercut and Live 'N' Love pleasantly add some hook to the second part of Keep Calm & Carry On. The melody Stuck In A Rut could be on the most noticeable numbers on the long-play, if it did not lack drive a little and it did not have so many clichйs in the verses. Anyway, even so it sounds at least decently. The work is crowned by the pedestrian, but powerful balladry piece Show Me How.

Keep Calm & Carry On: the well-built record and serious approach

Some bands, when they reach fame or vice versa realize that the days of the peak daze are far away in the past, become reluctant about the material of their following records. However, we can not find Stereophonics guilty of such moves. As always, the musicians were serious about the question of songs composition and their record – even the cover is the enjoyment for the eye each time they make a release. Well, somebody can oppose that the artists refused from the experiments this time or did not openly protest against something. Let’s look into the face of the facts – the musicians are out the age, when people riot on any reason and blame the mechanism of the society. Nevertheless, it is hard to neglect the past days of Stereophonics’ bright youth when they gave us the doze of the first-rate nonconformity. However, on Keep Calm & Carry On the fans of the collective will find everything they love about the band so much – sharpness, irony, mock, thoughtfulness and internal burn. The disc Keep Calm & Carry On is hardly aimed to enlarge the army of the fans whether we speak about Europe or the US or additional attention to the group, but it is targeted to remind us that the artists are still filled with creative ideas and stay in perfect shape. Those Britpop lovers that will be lucky to hear these songs live – the band plans the tour start for March 2010 – are sure to get a charge of positive emotions and vivid reminiscences of the performances.