Not Accepted Anywhere

The Automatic is one of the sales leaders of summer 2006

The four young guys from the small Welsh village of Cowbridge playing indie pop-punk rock were first known for their singles Recover, Raoul and the latest Monster. The last two got in to the UK single chart, the most successful Monster being number 4. The band comprising front singer and bassist Rob Hawkins, guitarist James Frost, Alex Pennie, playing of synth keyboards and percussion and drummer Iwan Griffiths approved itself remembered as a chorus master. They appeared on BBC Radio 1 and played Monster live which was a great success. On 19 June their debut album Not Accepted Anywhere was released and since it had been well advertised beforehand, The Automatic became one of the sales leaders of summer 2006. Some may compare their manner of playing and singing with that of Kaiser Chiefs and The Killers but The Automatic have their peculiar manner to combine loud synth with high tone vocals and change the pitch level within one song from chorus to couplet and vice versa. Besides, the fact that the band’s synth and keyboards player Alex Pennie is a real genius in this art is very significant. His brilliant manner of producing sounds so perfectly harmonizing with guitars and Hawkins’ vocals makes the sound of The Automatic obviously distinguished.

Not Accepted Anywhere consists of really catchy tracks

The album opener That’s What She Said is a good way to get acquainted with The Automatic for each of the musicians can be heard in this track. The loud synth together with Hawkins’ powerful vocals make you want to listen to the album until the end. Most of the songs have a remarkably catchy chorus, which is definitely the sign of the songwriter’s talent. Raoul, the song about a local sandwich shop owner, is a funny and joyful track. Keep Your Eyes Peeled has a very sharp beginning, but the chorus is much more than could have been expected and your heart starts beating faster when it impetuously bursts out. Recover, which was the band’s first single, has been modified a bit yet it hasn’t lost any of its advantages – it can energize anybody. Lost At Home is a little slower than other tracks, resembling a kind of a ballad, but having The Automatic’s typical tough electro chords. You Shout You Shout You Shout is a little sentimental which contrasts greatly with Seriously Guys I Hate You, a very emotionalizing track. The same can be said about By My Side, but the most outstanding one is of course the sensational Monster, and its chorus makes you sing with the guys once you hear it for the first time. The whole album consists of really catchy tracks especially their choruses.

The Automatic inspire people with their impulses

The Automatic has managed to become so popular not only because of its original sound achieved by the contrast of the front and back vocals or because of the catchy songs. The point is in the spirit of their music. The very name of the band speaks for itself – they despise daily routine, robot-like way of life the most of people are living today. They protest against rules and norms sidelining the man. The energy filling all their songs stands for the feeling of riot burning in their hearts. That’s what makes their songs so amazingly popular – they inspire people with their impulses. This rebellious spirit unites all the songs of Not Accepted Anywhere in spite of the fact that the tempos and sound levels are different in each particular track. Although the guys are much criticized for their plain texts, ingenuous rhymes and too young sounding this criticism does the band only good for it attracts attention to them. Besides, everything genius is simple. It is quite possible that even those who have never been fond of pop-punk rock can find a number of new interesting moments on Not Accepted Anywhere. The result for anyone is most likely to be the same – the chorus “What’s that coming over the hill? Is it a monster?” is sure to linger in your mind for good.