The Automatic: Tear The Signs Down
The Automatic: Tear The Signs Down
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By Rob Wheatley. |  |
Monday, 22, Mar 2010 05:17
Armoured Records, out now.
What's it all about?
It's the sharp, off-beat, impressive, re-invente third album from the Brit-rock quartet, released on their own independent label after parting ways with B-Unique/Polydor last year.
Who's it by?
You may remember The Automatic from such pop-rock atrocities as (What's that coming over the hill is it a) Monster (?) and (Let's go see) Raoul, which plagued the airwaves in 2006. Since then, however, the band have undergone a major transformation with the unceremonious ditching of keyboardist/screamer Alex Pennie and the recruitment of alt-rock pioneer Paul Mullen (formerly of yourcodenameis:milo).
As an example...
"On the edge of the world looking out to sea/At the start of my road I will take the lead." - Interstate
What the others say
"Tear The Signs Down' will surely stand out as one of the finest British records of the year." - Rock Sound
"All the sharpness of past endeavours has been transformed into a kind of unpalatable sonic gristle." - BBC Music
So is it any good?
The Automatic are clearly out to prove the doubters wrong on their third record and to a certain extent, they achieve this. The eerie keys and syncopated rhythms of album opener Insides makes them sound closer to Radiohead or Muse than Scouting for Girls or the Hoosiers. Their transformation is down, in no short part, to the prominence of Paul Mullen, who joined the band in 2008 for their sophomore effort This is a Fix and has since installed himself as the creative fulcrum of the band. Mullen's distinctive vocals pierce through eight of the 11 tracks on Tear The Signs Down and his ear for a head-turning post-rock rhythm is what gives this record true distinctiveness. This hard-rock pedigree comes to the fore on the visceral rush of Something Else, before the searing guitars of Tear it Down bring the album to a close. In many ways, this sounds more like a follow-up to Mullen's last record with yourcodenameis:milo (a concept album about Kamikaze pilots titled They Came From The Sun, since you asked), than just another album from the Automatic.
Despite this, the funk/disco tinges from the Automatic's earlier work are still in evidence, with Can I Take You Home crying out for a cowbell during the verses and former lead singer Rob Hawkins' voice nestling in nicely on Cannot Be Saved. The main criticism to be levelled at this record would perhaps be a lack of ambition, since none of the tracks break the five-minute mark. This should be rectified on future efforts; a quicker fix, however would be a change of name, since they have changed in every other regard since 2006. Now the band have found a new gear it would be a fitting decision, but sadly the Manual Transmission doesn't quite have the same ring to it...
8/10
Chris Jefferies