Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 29/01/07
Label: Polydor

Condemned to suffer the critical indignity of playing figurehead to a misconceived 'scene' - admittedly self-coined and serving them well thus far - Klaxons will struggle to win over the cynics. A shame, because their debut is better judged as a thrilling blast of Brit indie circa 2007, summarising the energy of change sweeping the retrogressive world of guitar quartets, than as standard bearer for 'new rave'. It may be arty and even a little arch but there's little doubt its heart's in the right place.

"Myths Of The Near Future" is on a mission to inject some NRG into reconstituted rock and brims with singles fit to chase the last stragglers from the manufactured pop party. Those looking for 'rave' aesthetics though, will take some convincing. Despite the air horns that decorate the adrenaline rush of "Atlantis To Interzone" and their affectionate cover of mid-'90s house anthem "It's Not Over Yet" by Grace, their songs are conservative enough to highlight just how innovative the Fisher Price anthems of '92 now sound.

Rave here is strictly 'a feeling', the odd intuition of a band too young to have participated, that an early generation was party to something more galvanising than support slots with Babyshambles. It's this embrace of futures possible - made literal in references to the Utopian fiction of J G Ballard - that really aligns them with the last spontaneous youth revolution of less media-literate times.

Ironically, despite appearing terribly fashionable to those old enough to be intimidated, Klaxons dare to be different. Rather than line fans up to adore them at shows they'd prefer them to dance. Rave's ego-free, pre-superstar DJ ideal of immersion into the syncronised whole of the dancefloor is glimpsed as a nostalgic ideal. Latest single "Golden Skans" - an ode to lighting rigs that decorated raves Klaxons never went to - surges with enough spine-tingling joy to match piano house. Yet, it's their most formal composition with no obvious 'rave' aesthetics.

Unlike the club touchstones they pay lip service to, including Kicks Like A Mule novelty hit "The Bouncer" which has been a live staple since they started, Klaxons already have enough range to invest euphoria with deeper hues. "Isle Of Her" cites their eccentric imagination in the waters of Greek myth, working the oars to reach an island paradise. You never got that with SL2. For a band that formed little over a year ago, the energy and intent of this record is thrilling and the music rarely fails their undoubtedly grand ambitions. Let down your guard.

    by James Poletti