Music For The People

The Enemy made the sophomore attempt in two years

British indie-rock trio The Enemy, including young musicians Tom Clarke, Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts, was founded in Coventry in 2006. In 2007, on the wave of indie music success, the artists already recorded the breakthrough debut We'll Live And Die In These Towns. Although the work featured a strong influence of The Enemy’s idols, especially Oasis and The Jam, the critics appreciated both masterful play of the three youngsters and their creative potential. It was hard to predict the future career of the instant star guys, as everyone knows about the so-called “testament by the second album”. The young men wisely decided that hurry would be impropriate, and spent about two years, recording the follow-up Music For The People. Of cause, they did not spend all this time entirely for the studio sessions, as they actively performed with such bands as Kaiser Chiefs and The Rolling Stones. Now, they are planning to perform before their favorite rockers Oasis. However, it is the new disc Music For The People by The Enemy that we are going to discuss. Well, it is clear from the title that the musicians decided to be closer to the people, while the lyrics of the new disc really hit many up-to-date messages. Besides, the sound of Music For The People feasibly differs from the one on the previous disc.

Social satire and thick sound on Music For The People

The album opens with the track, which is appropriately titled Elephant Song. Guitar riffs become the center of the composition. The tune No Time For Tears must be familiar to you, as this fiction track about revolution and its consequences is the first single from Music For The People. It is clear from the title that the song 51st State is filled with anti-US moods. However, the climax of the social satire for the States and other developed countries, slaved by corporate culture, is reached in the composition Nation Of Checkout Girls. An overall good song Sing When You're In Love could be even better, if the artists were not so possessed by the handclaps in its arrangement. Well, this melody shows us that The Enemy trio strives to become the arena heroes – well, if we take in consideration the fact that their tutors are Oasis and The Jam, who really give heat in the stadiums, such wish of The Enemy is really praiseworthy. The romantic and dramatic track Last Goodbye, decorated by the strings arrangement, will revive in our memory the music of The Verve with their fantastic melodies and recognizable song ornaments. Dedicated to bureaucracy and featuring many paper clichés that we are all sick about composition Don't Break The Red Tape places The Enemy as close to the people, as they could, while in the matter of sound they come too close to The Clash. The wonderful motif with the daring lyrics Keep Losing can be heard in two versions on the disc – an original one, and the string one.

Searching for the unique sound

The new album by The Enemy took two years to be released. It is natural that while the disc was in the process, people were inspired by the promising predecessor We'll Live And Die In These Towns and the critics expected obviously too much from the gifted, but anyway young artists. No wonder that in the light of these events, some critics were disappointed by Music For The People. However, let’s analyze the facts – the album Music For The People is not that bad, actually, it is not bad at all. The only noticeable drawback is that the artists are still in the search of their own sound. Earlier, they reminded the listeners of the Britpop idols of 90s like Oasis, and now we can trace on the long-play the imprints of Led Zeppelin, The Clash and even The Beatles. Nevertheless, it also signals of the fact that the members of The Enemy are enlarging their musical horizon. Their sound became harder, while the texts got more socialized. The artists use the strings, while the vocals by Tom Clarke became more expressive. However, the artists lack identity. For now, we have a well-labored, professionally tailored disc Music For The People, which became the second installation of the band into their discography. This full-length lets us clearly realize that the guys are in an active creative search and they are not going to give up, so we have all chances to hear The Enemy on their third disc with the acquired unique style, similar of no rock music giants.The Enemy – обзор альбома Music For The People