Pity the Fools
The excellently mantled Last Stop China Town brings us 'Soldiers of Fortune.' Being fans of the eighties TV show 'The A Team,' it's not hard to figure out that 'Soldiers of Fortune' is based around the 2nd musical phase (or the grinding riff) in the theme tune of the aforementioned program. The idea sounds crazy but the 'borrowed' riff works well with some extra oomph behind it (although I would argue the case for louder guitars). Because of the recognisable theme 'Soldier of Fortune' is deliciously palatable, however its novelty soon wears off and I did find myself skipping to track two after only a handful of listens. The band have tried to add a sense of humour to the song using phrases such as 'I love it when a plan comes together' and 'I ain't getting on no plane,' but the band don't come across as being insane enough to be convincing, just embarrassing. Perhaps songs such as this should be left to Arnocorps to produce.
I can see what Last Stop China Town were trying to do but the biggest problem with 'Soldiers of Fortune' is the other two songs on this disc are a class above it. 'Opinions Collide' and 'Intruder (In my mind)' are sombre mellow but edgy cuts. They'd be good bedfellows with the likes of Sinch but with a British twist. Due to the quality and seriousness of these songs, and the novelty of 'Soldier of Fortune,' I think it would have been more beneficial to the band to have 'Soldier of Fortune' last on the track listing. This would portray the band as a serious and creative commodity rather than a bunch of lads jamming around to a TV show.
The bottom line is Last Stop China Town have lots of potential if only they'd leave their humorous antics to the end and concentrate on developing their own style. I feel this would be a good move if the last two songs on this disc are anything to go by.