Something wicked is coming this way, but beware, because it might be disguised as something slightly sweet. Can you guess what it is? Okay, I know you give so I’ll tell you – it’s the four-piece band The Double. The darkly artsy band has a new album, Loose in the Air, which finds them continuing to mix piano and sweet wispy vocals with some of the creepy sounds that Freddy Krueger makes with his knife-life claws. And much like the numerous Nightmare on Elm Street movies, The Double’s latest album wears out its welcome too by playing the same tune over and over again.
Album gets off to a promising start with the electro trippy opening track “Up All Night”. With its mix of detached vocals and cold metallic sounds, the song could almost be a perfect soundtrack to the years 2000 – October, 2005. Unfortunately though, The Double doesn’t really build on the sound they started with. Instead, they veer off in tangents that lead them right back to the same place.
“Idiocy” is slightly more poppy, but still holds a bit of menace. If Chris Martin of Coldplay were to get really pissed at Gwyneth and take his band on an exploration of the dark side, this is what you would have. “Icy” goes a little bit glam, but never goes far enough in that direction to shed any new light on the album.
“Hot Air” is the one track that finds the band slightly breaking out of its shell. There’s some great drumming here that, all too briefly, stamps some much needed personality onto Loose in the Air.
Over all, The Double are obviously buried up to their eyeballs in their desire to create their own sort of “sound”, but unfortunately, they haven’t quite yet lived up to their creative vision. For example, if you’re going to call a song “Busty Beasty”, I would expect something original – not just more of the same. |