Lost love equals good comeback single
Less than a year on since their debut album, The Rakes return with a brand new single 'All Too Human' which finds the band initially in reflective mood but ends with an almost football crowd like chant.
Lyrically it appears to be a lament to a lost love, possibly due to the toils and travels caused by the amount of work needed to be put in by a band. However, if break-ups result in songs of this calibre then at times it isn't all too bad.
It cannot only be this writer who would love to see Richard Ashcroft split with Kate Radley in the thin hope we may see the return of Mad Richard and his sky scraping majesty as opposed to his tedious and tepid safe offerings.
Getting back to the Rakes track, the music is yet again another angular restrained guitar workout which nips away at the listener allowing the odd squeal and underlying embellishment to sneak in unnoticed.
Similar in build and content to '22 Grand Job' the song takes that template on and is a more melancholic relative of The Rakes best known song to date. Vocally, the song comes to life as it nears its conclusion. The lyrics increase in pace and expose the real feelings behind the earlier cagey beginnings.
The track ends in a sing-along of the short chorus and the production makes it sound large and welcoming.
As comeback singles go, it follows a safe path and it will definitely please fans of the first record and possibly gain some airplay to win over some new fans. They might still be remembered by most for the video to '22 Grand Job' but The Rakes deserve as much, if not more, recognition than some of the current acts making a decent living in the UK.