(label)
01 March 2010 (released)
21 February 2010
I am not a huge fan of re-releases, especially ones that offer extra tracks as an incentive; it means fans have to shell out the cost of an album just for a couple of songs. In the case of the latest offering by Fightstar the re-released album is accompanied by a DVD of a stripped down (if not actually acoustic) gig at Northampton’s PictureDrome.
The album we all know about and has already been reviewed here, so I won’t bore you with that, but I will take a look at the extra tracks and the DVD
The extra tracks are 'A City on Fire’ (the physical launch of the band’s recent single), '28k Resolution’, 'It’s Blood Is Black’, 'Mvua Nyeusi’ plus the track 'Battlefield’ which will be exclusive to the iTunes version.
Most fans will already be familiar with 'A City on Fire’ as this has recently been released as a download single. It’s a blistering offering full of great hooks, riffs and melodies illustrating the new direction of the band. '28k Resolution’ isn’t quite as strong but has enough energy to keep you satisfied until the last riff rings out. 'It’s Blood Is Black’ is one of my favourite new tracks. There is a lot more going on here than in a lot of their earlier material. The song writing has evolved to show a more grown up side of the band. 'Mvua Nyeusi’ shows their softer side with heartfelt lyrics juxtaposing with soaring riffs and beautiful melodies.
The DVD has a very warm feel to it. They guys chat between songs explaining why they have arranged the songs this way and telling amusing anecdotes. They seem genuinely excited to be playing to the small crowd.
Rather than going totally acoustic, they stick with their electric guitars (with the exception of Charlie) but strip down the sound with some very clever arrangements. All the strings on 'Be Human’ were written by the extremely talented Audrey Riley, who is responsible for the strings on songs by Coldplay and Muse. She joins the guys for an emotional rendition of '99’, which is one of the highlights of the DVD. Other highlights include 'The English Way’ and a glorious version of Don McLean’s 'Vincent’, which is the B-side of 'A City on Fire’. Also aired here is the cover of Jordin Sparks’s 'Battlefield’, which is included in the I-tunes download.
The reason why this DVD works so well is the relaxed attitude of the band. It feels like you are one of their mates and they are just having a bit fun inviting you into their world.
The DVD also features videos for the singles 'The English Way', 'Mercury Summer', 'Never Change' and 'A City On Fire'.
This is a great package and worth buying for the DVD alone.
