Music: Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Klaxons
Myths of the Near Future
[Rock]






Klaxons really shot themselves in the foot when they coined the term 'new rave' to generate pre-release hype for their relatively conventional take on dance-punk. Despite singer/bassist Jamie Reynolds' admission that the term was used as an in-joke - an idea backed up by the hilariously inappropriate use of a klaxon (geddit?) in the opening seconds of 'Atlantis to Interzone' and a cheeky cover of rave music's official anthem, 'It's Not Over Yet' - most of the criticism aimed at the group's first full-length record, Myths of the Near Future, bemoans the lack of whack.

Stylus Magazine, for example, noted that it "clearly isn't rave, or even a reinvention of rave...[it's] a half-decent gimmick", while Rolling Stone contested that the sound is "suspiciously indie-ish". And it gets worse: desperately attempting to cling to a "movement" in order to counter plummeting sales, the NME even sponsored a new-rave tour in honour of the non-existent genre.

One would have hoped that, even if the above clues as to the tongue-in-cheek nature of the phrase were overlooked, the prevalence of glowsticks at the band's shows would have pointed unbelievers toward the obvious irony. Alas it didn't and, as a result, Klaxons appear to have been judged according to their credentials as field-filling drug-pushers rather than the quite good indie rock 'n' rollers they have always proved themselves to be since the initial release of their first single, 'Gravity's Rainbow', a year ago.

When they get it right, as on four of Myths' five singles ('Atlantis to Interzone', 'Golden Skans', 'Gravity's Rainbow', 'It's Not Over Yet') and 'Two Receivers', they really get it right, concocting a delicious musical salad of schizophrenic guitars, thick bass and multi-layered falsetto sweeps ready-made for chart consumption. For instance, the "oohs" and "ahhs" providing the wordless chorus on 'Golden Skans', the unjustly funky rhythm of 'Gravity's Rainbow', the relentless locomotive clatter of opening couplet 'Atlantis to Interzone' and 'Two Receivers' and the teary-eyed chorus of 'It's Not Over Yet' are all perfect examples of pop perfection.

Elsewhere, however, shockingly poor production, a definite lack of ideas and an inescapable sense of over-familiarity combine to undermine the ferocious punch of the fantastic five. It is difficult to overstate just how terrible James Ford's studio work is on Myths, but suffice to say that at least three or four songs are completely destroyed by the Simian Mobile Disco man.

Perhaps keen to express his fondness for beats (he provided the album's drums and percussion), he has ramped up the drumming to such an unnecessary volume that the trio's glorious, interlocking harmonies and manic squeals are often completely drowned out. In addition, the guitars are sometimes stretched to ear-splitting frequencies ('Magick', 'As Above, So Below', 'Totem on the Timeline') while the bass is usually far too loud ('Isle of Her', 'Four Horsemen of 2012'). At times, Myths' forceful tone borders on unlistenable - certainly not something that strict adherents to the mathematical formulas of The Manual - as Klaxons have confessed they are - would have wished for.

Where the band occasionally bail themselves out of Ford's atrocity exhibition, though, is with some inspired literary lyrics. Naming their album and (at least) three songs after cult works by Ballard, Burroughs, Pynchon and Crowley may appear to be a Maximo Park-esque plea to be recognised as well-read, but a quick run through of the words suggests otherwise. Lines like "Krill edible oceans at their feet / A troublesome troop out on safari / A lullaby holds their drones in sleep" smack of pretension in a way that Paul Banks could only ever dream of. Not convinced? How about "All ships of sense on hyper ocean / All Kytes of chaos still in motion / My culture vulture such a dab hand / I'll steal you from the year 4000" for size? In a British music scene where reading books is commonly considered to be an unspeakable hate crime, Klaxons' fantastic blend of the surreal and the absurd is so refreshing as to be virtually cathartic.

Unfortunately, however, Myths' weaknesses are just too apparent for it to be considered an essential record. In fact, taken on its own terms, the finished product is little more than a slightly quirky but fairly weak indie album. Rather, my reserved fondness for the band is significantly (and perhaps wrongly) based on their initial intention to do something challenging and original, their instigation of the 'new rave' obsession in the media, their impressive run of artistic videos and their incredible knack for crafting excellent singles. So they failed with a whole album's worth of material - does it really matter that much? For certain, the British music scene is a far better place with Klaxons that without them. 60