THE CHELSEA SMILES - review added 16th February 2009
Album Review: The Chelsea Smiles (Self Titled) (2009)
For fans of: alternative rock... and bad examples of facial reconstruction
The Chelsea smile (also known as the Glasgow smile or Chelsea grin) is a particularly gruesome act involving cutting someone from the corners of their mouth towards their ears. The Chelsea Smiles may be named because they plan to come round your house and perform a similar act. The more likely reason is that their music is such rocket-fuel fun you'll rip your cheeks open singing along too loudly!
Consisting of Todd Youth on guitar and vocals, RJ Ronquillo on guitar and vocals, Johnny Martin on bass and Karl Rosqvist on drums, the band aren't young upstarts built on empty hype. There's plenty of history going on here - Youth has played with (amongst others) Danzig, Murphy's Law, Motorhead, Agnostic Front, and even Glen Campbell! The other members, although arguably toting less impressive C.V.'s, have still done their fair share of circuit pounding.
The Chelsea Smiles have a speedy, adrenaline infused punk-rock style you could bottle and sell as caffeine substitute. There's also a classic, commercially agreeable feel to many of the songs. It's like you've heard them on the radio a hundred times before... but in a good way. There are numerous bands out there successfully playing this sort of music. Few of them produce anything this infectious.
'Take You Away' is a monstrous start to the album. With hints of The Dandy Warhols' best work in the bedrock of the track and an immeasurable catchy nature to the overall structure, there is no doubt this song deserves some serious chart action. The harmonies in the chorus make the song utterly memorable, especially the way they contrast with the verses.
'Drowned' is another track you can imagine blasting over the radio. It follows a similar harmonic path to the first song and is almost as good. 'Leave You Cold' is a suspiciously friendly punk song with a mohican and a Gucci suit. It's a simple track, but who needs i-q when you can have I-don't-care?
'So Low' is like a fusion of The Beatles and Nirvana. 'Little Misfit' sounds like the band wrote a six minute track and were told to fit it into two and a half. It speeds along like a cheetah on nitrous and is just great! The cover of the seminal Rolling Stones track 'The Last Time' is impressive. It stays very true to the original, which irks, but as far as versions of this song go, this is one of the best.
The final track, 'Broken Lullabies' sounds annoyingly like Oasis. I'm not a fan of the Mancunian but-jobs, even if their quality does shine through. This particular track, although tainted with the stench of 'The Gallaghers', still comes across very well. It's another track that could easily slip discreetly into the charts.
It's hard to tell whether this album is so brilliantly original it seems instantly familiar, or if it seems instantly familiar because it's hugely derivative. I think on balance it's a combination of the two. There are numerous hints of other bands throughout the album, but they're tied together with such panache the similarities seem irrelevant. The album could do with a touch more variety, but that really is a minor complaint.
The Chelsea Smiles could, with enough energy and money behind them, be massive. This is music that should appeal to rock fans, punk fans, and people who follow the charts alike.
Check out... The vocals at the end of 'The Last Time'. Seriously, is that Chris Cornell?!
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