Disappointing effort that lacks bite.
Hadouken! are very much like marmite; you either love them or hate them. However, some tracks from their debut album ‘Music For An Accelerated Culture’ are more accessible than others, and you would think it is these more ‘accessible’ tracks that would be released as singles, to try and hook in more potential fans. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth with new single ‘Crank It Up’, one of the more direct and upfront tracks from the album.
Aside from the accessibility angle, ‘Crank It Up’ is one of the weaker tracks on the album, which is why it is puzzling that it has been released as a single. While it is an energetic blast of rave-based electro carnage and has that Hadouken! ‘feel’, it lacks any hooks or bite. It’s like being bitten by a puppy; you kind of feel it but, as they don’t have any teeth, it tickles and leaves slobber rather than drawing blood. There is no replay value, nothing to grab on to, and therefore washes over you and disappears without provoking any reaction.
As a Hadouken! fan, I know that they can, and have done, far better than this before. My only concern is that for any newcomers to the band, this is not strong enough to warrant further investigation, which is a terrible shame as they are extremely talented and skilled at their particular style. Everyone makes mistakes, so let’s put this one down to inexperience.