Music-News favourites The Rifles are going from strength to strength as was highlighted last year when they triumphantly sold out four raucous nights at the Electric Ballroom celebrating the 10 year anniversary of first album ‘No Love Lost’. 2016 also started on a high with a sell-out show at The Roundhouse and October sees the boys embark on a full UK tour following on from dates in Germany and Holland.
Recording-wise, they are also on a bit of a roll. Following the success of fourth album ‘None The Wiser’, we see that momentum continue to grow with ‘Big Life’
‘Big Life’ consists of the full 18 tracks the band had shortlisted as potentials for the LP. When it came to the crunch and making the decision which ones should make the final cut, they simply decided to throw the whole lot in turning it into a double album
‘None The Wiser’ had seen the band, recently reunited with their original line-up, come up with a perfect blend of indie guitar pop-rock. There’s plenty more of that in ‘Big Life’, but maybe now that the fab four originals are fully settled back in, the fifth release also re-discovers some of the bite from the band’s early years
Overall, the sound is more mature sounding than previous releases with a similar mixture of the upbeat, the contemplative and a fair few tunes which pull at the heart strings. The second cd in particular moves into bigger, sometimes anthemic numbers such as ‘Big Big Life’, ‘Motorway’ as well as beautifully thought out and arranged songs like ‘Independent’ and ‘Never Been That Close’
The opening tunes of side one are a natural follow-on from ‘None The Wiser’. Groundhog Day starts the proceedings. It’s a brisk, catchy pop tune which recounts a theme often contemplated by lead vocalist Joel Stoker - the lifelong, every day, work routine that the average Joe is subjected to
Immediately after new single ‘Turtle Dove’ comes the ska inspired ‘Numero Uno’ which has been plucked from The Rifles’ archives, dusted off and given a new lease of life. A mix of ‘Lost in London’ and ‘Hard to Laugh’, it’s a classically arranged Rifles track which lovers of their earliest work will relish. This is followed by one of the more progressive tunes, the uplifting, keyboard dominated chorus of ‘Caught In The Summer Rain’. Opening with a catchy riff, it’s a grand, soaring melody. A real highlight of side one
The high tempo continues with ‘Wall Around Your Heart’ and slows right back down with ‘Victoria’, a sentimental, heartfelt melody
The second CD sees The Rifles move on to a mature sound and it gets off to an absolute flyer with four massive but very different tracks. ‘Big Big Life’ comes first and is proceeded by the sweet and dreamy harmonies of ‘Motorway’. Then comes the introspective and ambitious ‘Independent’ with its inspiring chorus crescendo being another real highlight.
The meditative mood is then jolted by another classic early Rifles style tune. ‘Misunderstood’ kicks off with big copper guitars, is carried along by a ska riff and a fantastically sinister chorus lead-in ‘Don’t you think I don’t see what you’re doing, don’t you think I don’t know what’s going on!’ and topped off with a rabble rousing chorus. Another album peak for sure
‘Never Been That Close’ is a solemn love song that evokes hope, heartbreak and hopelessness - ‘I’ve never been that close and ever felt so far away like when you’re holding me’
A cracking album comes to a close with an acoustic version of ‘Victoria’
Check out Joel and Luke talking exclusively to Music-news about their new album below along with an exclusive session.
