Bright British Indie
From the anxious splendour of the socially conscious, 'Dear Constable' with its cries of, "All we're looking for is a change, the times we're living in are strange, we've got to name and shame, but who exactly is to blame? ", rap segments and slicing guitars to the sentimental charmer, 'Little Boy Lost', 'No Fighting In The War Room' is a bright, upbeat album with plenty of musical gems.
'Man Of The Hour' is a somewhat average indie number with a militant beat and straining vocals that fail to really leave that much of an impression, despite lyrics about fallen heroes. It falls a little by the wayside compared to the similar work of other current groups like DOGS and Pigeon Detectives. Previous single, 'Wishing Well' also falls into this "fair, but could do better" category, if Harrisons are going to succeed as the next big thing from Sheffield in the wake of Arctic Monkeys, they're going to have to do a lot harder than this. Although I can imagine this song going down fantastically amongst a sweaty venue full of merry youngsters wanting to throw themselves around to a lively tune.
There's the jaunty 'Take It To The Mattress' and the dancefloor filler in the form of' Monday's Arms' with its persistent vamping beats and deep vocal calls, its essence and lyrical content is very reminiscent of the slightly ska urban utterances of The Jam. A stark contrast, but another strong tune is 'Listen', a pensive little acoustic number that appears from nowhere but leaves a great impression as it ripples along with more than a hint of mournful regret about it. 'Crystal Sweet' has an epic feel with crashing guitars and brooding solos full of echoes that match the frustrated hushed vocals.
This is a great little album full of cool indie tunes, but the main problem is that it sounds so similar to 99.9% of the other indie groups out there that it's hard to imagine The Harrisons getting much of a look in.