Razorlight ‎– Olympus Sleeping CD PROMO

The guitars sound pretty much the same, and Borrell still has that unmistakable vocal delivery. What’s impressive is the passion and vitality of the songwriting. Though Borrell is the only remaining original member, his new band bring fresh life to the frontman’s material.

Indeed, Olympus Sleeping returns to the straightforward rock thrills of Razorlight’s lauded debut, Up All Night, eschewing the more grandiose tendencies of their later work. There’s a tangible exuberance on every track.

Borrell’s vocal and guitar chops boast a remarkable similarity to The Clash’s Mick Jones. The reggae-punk-pop amalgamation of the sublime ‘Midsummer Girl’ is melodic and edgy. ‘Good Night’, a ferociously gritty stomper clocking in at barely two minutes, is a terrific blast of bratty post-punk energy that helps you forget about ‘America’ (almost).

There are more elaborate tunes here – ‘Carry Yourself’ and ‘Iceman’ are impressively complex efforts, showcasing Borrell’s gifts as a writer and performer. Indeed, Olympus Sleeping is a distillation of the best qualities of each of Razorlight’s three previous albums: the inspired vitality of the first, and the ambitious craft of the latter two. That makes Slipway Fires their finest collection yet. Borrell is at the peak of his creative powers. Welcome back, Razorlight!

Label: Atlantic Culture Records

Country; Europe

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)