Utter Crap
Have you ever been in a pub or club and witnessed a band that was so rubbish you reminisce about them for years later with your mates? Akira may well be one of those bands, because apart from one mellow moment, their new single 'Patriot' is an utter waste of your time and theirs.
The whole CD, albeit two songs long, doesn't make any sense, and if this is the best they can come up with, I pray to any higher being that the album doesn't drop into my lap. The song 'Patriot' is made up of different sections, a slow start, am annoyingly discordant second phase, a badly played and out of tune middle section, and then a heavy passage (or at least it tries to be heavy), before ending the song with an irritating section, a section so irritating I've not been able to listen to it more than twice.
Second track 'Atom,' starts with a gorgeous simple melody with Sarah and Gbenga mixing their vocals well, but then the music stops for half a minute before the track starts again with perhaps the worst din this side of a rusty drill. Why does the track need to stop for 30 seconds? Had they forgotton what to play? por had they realised they couldn't actually play and then made a load of noise to make up for it? Akira sound like that band in the rehearsal room next to yours. The band who just piss about all night making any old racket because they think being in a band is something cool to do.
I can honestly say I'd rather listen to an ice cream van put to a beat than this load of toss. This CD has little in the way of actual music, melody, musicianship, imagination and creativity, which, oddly enough contradicts their press release and biography.
Their influences include: The Karate Kid, Battle of the Planets, The American Dream, Jeremy Paxman and so on... these kids are just too crazy, they'd better slow down before they're put in straight jackets and lugged off to the nearest loony bin. Oh for god's sake!
Maybe I don't understand where Akira are coming from, but I would go as far as saying I am not alone in this sentiment. Perhaps only Akira can really appreciate Akira so let's hope they keep it amongst themselves and save the rest of us from this drivel. I find it a disappointment in the music industry as a whole that bands like this can often take the place of good bands, bands who work hard and have at least a modicum of talent. 'Patriot's' catalogue number is 002, I hope to god they don't make it to 003.