The Enemy - We'll live adn die in these towns
British rock band the Enemy have bursts into the speakers all round with their tight sound and choruses that are just begging to be shouted back at the band by an enthusiastic crowd. Tom Clarke, Liam Watts and Andy Hopkins have come a long way since being July 2005's Coventry and Warwickshire Band of the Month. The dedication to their work and contact with their fan base has made them one of the most popular new bands this year, and it is now time for the Indie rock band to release their long awaited debut album, We'll Live And Die In These Towns. It was a serious contender to knock the Chemical Brother's fifth album off the UK album chart top spot and it did just that; shooting to number #1 on it's first week of release in the British album charts.
The album is full of terrific tracks, most of which are upbeat, but with the occasional slower song. There are the dark upbeat sounds of Pressure, the calming vocals which build up to a screamable and top tapping chorus of You're not alone along with the great tune Technodanceaphobic. Then there is the infectious orchestral opening to We'll live and die in these towns, which has truckloads of instruments packed in to create slow smooth sounds; like something you'd expect to hear on heartbeat. The album opens with an amazing build up to Aggro. This upbeat tune is full of rhyming couplets and terrific sounds. Away from here, the bands first UK top ten single is toe tapping good, as are their other two singles; the second single It's not ok is a little darker than other tracks on the album as it builds to an electric solo and their last single to be released, Had enough, with its anthem style sounds.
The three most impressive tracks come at the end of the album. 40 days and 40 nights is upbeat, really shows the musical ability of the band and is one of the more catchy tracks on the album. Then there are the amazing guitar riffs and trumpets with vocals on the Song, and lastly the drum roll intro of Happy Birthday Jane a slow ballad that is a quite sad song, with a brightening side. Lyrically the album is remarkable; they are catchy and really have meaning to the style of the songs. The lyrics 'if love is a drug when where is the cure for the girl who used to talk to you about her dream' in This Song are about changes growing up. They are simple and honest with no metaphors thrown in. Then there are the calming vocals of Happy Birthday Jane, which with its quite gloomy beginning has lyrics in the chorus to lighten the song; 'wake up the sun is shining, shining for you to take all your troubles away, just for a day.' All of the songs on We'll Live And Die In These Towns are short; sharp blasts of indie pop with great vocals throughout that to tie in with the atmosphere of each individual track.
The Enemy recently supported The Fratellis, Kasabian, Ash and Manic Street Preachers on their UK tours and have since begun their own UK tour. The Enemy are the sound of old-fashioned British rock'n'roll and with the buzz around this band not budging; they are going to be around for a while.