Originally written by Colin Roberts · 1 August 2005
The Rakes
Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)
Label: V2 Release Date: 01/08/2005
If you haven't been informed already, The Rakes are the sound of London today. From the incisive nature of their lyricism to the messy backing vocal that sounds like the back-end of an East End boozer on a Friday night.
'A shower and a scrub, still smell like the smoking bit in a Wetherspoon's pub' croons singer Alan Donohoe and like The Streets before him and Jamie T to come, it's Londoner rhetoric to relate to and to adore. It's the draw of the next almost-so-laid-back-their-vertical chorus and the instantly likeable quirks that this band provide that set them apart from their peers.
Where this single is let down is the lacklusture production from a one Paul Epworth, previously not one to disappoint (see Maximo Park, Bloc Party et al) that makes 'Work Work Work' fall slightly short of the mark - as if it were a rejected demo for the record. Where this recording washes over the listener and leaves no impact, it's a formidable force when played live.
The Rakes are unabashedly the sound of now, facets of negativity surround a belly of musical perfection - just don't dismiss them 'til you've been to a show, y'hear?
• 7 Colin Roberts's Score