Strong but lacking originality
The Cinematics had to face the departure of guitarist Ramsay Miller and the demise of their former label TVT before they could produce a follow-up to 2007’s ‘Strange Education’ album. ‘Love & Terror’ is the new album’s namesake and the first single to be taken from it. It’s a strange mix of 80’s shouts and sounds and high-paced beats. The guitar tone and riffs are perfect replicas of the kind of thing U2 were producing in their early days and the tune has plenty of energy, but while U2 were breaking new ground, ‘Love & Terror’ just feels a little derivative. There’s nothing wrong with the tune: the swaggering riff’s there, the echoing guitars ring out with force and the vocals are catchy enough with a dark edge, but there’s just nothing new or exciting to shout about either. I’m reserving judgement on the band’s new output until the new album hits the shelves.