I bought this based on reviews at the time, and I’m not sure I’ve listened to it for a decade. Everyone raved about this album, as the saviour of New York rock’n’roll when these young unknowns burst on the scene, and they certainly channelled the energy of what had gone 25 years before.
Although these were no urchins from the rough streets of NYC - privileged backgrounds and connections abounded to get them where they were. But let’s let the music do the talking.
Short songs, guitar riffs, no messing around, it’s a good listen and I’m really enjoying it. The Modern Age, Someday, Last Nite and Hard To Explain are stand outs, but there’s nothing complicated or testing, just good pop songs. New York City Cops (ain’t too smart) attracted a bit of attention in the wake of 9/11, but it’s the only controversial point on the album. Ending with the jaunty Take It Or Leave It, it’s been a bright 35 minutes. A decent enough debut, without trying to drag things out longer than necessary. It’s an album that wouldn’t have been out of place in 1977 New York, and it’s not hard to see why it woke people up in 2001.
3* - a fine debut, simple pop songs. Easy to listen to, but not too much that really makes you go ‘wow’!
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