So I guess we need a little background on the Apartments. First up, this Australian group don’t exist anymore, and haven’t done since 2007, and even that was for a series of gigs rather than a release or anything new. In fact, since the late 1970s, this group have formed and split no less than three times, and have had 22 different members. Some of their work is critically acclaimed, and some of it is guff. This one, sadly, is guff.
This album tries to sound exactly what indie in 1992 (when it was first released) is supposed to sound like. All the usual influences can be heard in opening track 'The Goodbye Train' alone. A hint of Stone Roses, slightly a bit Pixies and an itty bitty smattering of Joshua Tree era U2. It suffers from the boring verse followed by slightly more loud yet equally boring chorus, before another boring verse. At the end the track gets inexplicably quiet before fading back in a bit, and then fading out to silence, which was the best part of this whole thing.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike this album because it’s old. I was 7 when this was first released so my entire musical childhood was surrounded by songs like this one on the radio, but this was just…boring. The recording isn’t clean. It sounds very lost in the wind like it’s being played on a Main Stage at one of the UKs biggest festivals…but there’s no-one in the crowd. It’s almost sad, really.
Take 'Places where the Night is long' It shakes things up a little with a strings-based introduction which sounds a little more regal and interesting than almost anything else offered. But then the actual song happens and it’s just terrible. Uninspired and lacklustre. Even lead singer Peter Milton Walsh sounds disinterested with the end product as he limps through it, wondering whether or not splitting up for good was probably a better idea.
When Placebo wrote their debut album, they probably listened to this record and went, “Right. We like the way that this hints at being moody and atmospheric, but make the whole thing awesome instead.” There’s nothing wrong with the actual notes in the songs. It’s just the guitars have no edge or zest. The bassist could have been any old Joe for all anyone cares, and while the drummer tries so hard to keep things interesting, not even he can stop it being a damp squib.
'Drift'? Driftwood, more like.
Bright points include the upbeat and enticing 'Could I Hide Here', a jaunty little piece that picks up the pace a bit. The guitars are still too clean for a song like this and with a little more distortion pedal, this could have been utterly ace, but it’s still a real step up from most of what came before. The biggest problem is I had to wait until track nine to find a song I can say I liked throughout, and even then I get the feeling that there’s just something missing.
Times change, scenes change and music changes. It’s the evolution. If you asked anyone twenty years ago that an act called “LMFAO” could be at the top of the singles chart then they would have two responses:
1. What the hell is an “LMFAO” and will it run on DOS?
2. At least it’s not Bryan Adams.
Nirvana had only just released Nevermind when this album was being produced. On a Friday had just renamed themselves “Radiohead” and released 'Creep'. Muse were playing utterly awful scuzzy rock punk in Battle of the Bands contests. It’s almost unfair to have a review copy of 'Drift' turn up and expect us to see where it slots into the modern scene because, well, it doesn’t. It’s just a reminder about how good the bands that did make it through back then actually were.
However, since this review has been mostly negative, I will end it on a positive. Despite all the criticism, despite all the things I dislike about this record as a whole, at least the songs on it are better than 80% of the current UK Top 10 singles.
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This album tries to sound exactly what indie in 1992 (when it was first released) is supposed to sound like. All the usual influences can be heard in opening track 'The Goodbye Train' alone. A hint of Stone Roses, slightly a bit Pixies and an itty bitty smattering of Joshua Tree era U2. It suffers from the boring verse followed by slightly more loud yet equally boring chorus, before another boring verse. At the end the track gets inexplicably quiet before fading back in a bit, and then fading out to silence, which was the best part of this whole thing.
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