Okay, so there’s nothing new here. It’s your basic verse/chorus/verse solo-in-the-bridge type rock. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a strong, memorable album. Coxon knows how to write hooks that stay with you long after the songs have ended. At fifteen songs and about an hour long, my only complaint is that it’s a bit too long. Sure, there are a handful of gems and nothing smacks of filler, but it’d probably have been even better just a few songs lighter. Then again that just may be a reflection of my forty minute max attention span.
Love Travels at Illegal Speeds includes many different shades of the umbrella term “rock.” There’s bound to be something here that pleases anyone that purports to like be a listener of that genre and its many sub-genres. There’s a Brit-pop feel on “Standing On My Own Again” that ratchets up a notch on that scale with acoustic based strummers “Just a State of Mind” and “Don’t Believe Anything I Say.” The riffs on “I Don’t Wanna Go Out” would probably appease a Motley Crue fan. “Flight to the Sea (Lovely Rain)” is a nice lighter waving ballad. A friend said this album sometimes reminded him of Tom Petty and damned the torpedoes if “You and I” and “Tell It Like It Is” don’t make me think the same. “What’s He Got” and “Livin” betray a strong roots rock influence and the organ heavy “You Always Let Me Down” would be right at home on one of Little Steven’s underground garage shows. If there’s one overriding style of the album it’s the heavily indebted to the Buzzcocks punk found on such songs as “I Can’t Look at Your Skin” and “Don’t Let Your Man Know.” Coxon has put together a crowd pleaser to be sure, but fortunately it never feels crass or calculated.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Coxon is Blur’s former guitarist. Listening to one of his solo albums makes you realize just how much he contributed to their output. To borrow another friend’s comment: “Damon who?” That, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration. While Love Travels at Illegal Speeds may not rival his former band’s best material, it’s definitely a fine album in its own right.
And here’s where I introduce something new to my reviews. I’ve mentioned before that I’m in a mix trading group so I’m always on the lookout for songs to include on my next mix. I even mentally tag them as “mixtape worthy.” So if somehow you got a chance to sample a song or two from a given album, the ones I designate for this section are a cut above the rest. In other words, they’re my favorites!:
Mixtape tracks- “Don’t Let Your Man Know” and “Don’t Believe Anything I Say”
Ambulance LTD plan to release an album of all new material later this year. The New English EP serves as a tasty hors d’oeuvres to whet fans’ appetites for this main course. It features two new songs: the shuffling, vaguely country title track and “Arbuckle’s Swan Song,” a smooth pop number that the AMG reviewer justifiably compares to Spandau Ballet. I also thought of Steely Dan. Whomever you want to compare it to, it’s the weakest track of the bunch and hopefully not indicative of some new direction the band is taking. Much more exciting are the two demos of songs that ended up on LP. There’s a stripped down, acoustic version of “Heavy Lifting” plus a nifty take on “Sugar Pill” that has a fat distorted bass line pushed to the front of the mix. Also included are two unreleased tracks, “Country Gentlemen” and “Straight A’s,” both mellow Brit-pop flavored gems. Topping it all off is a faithful live cover of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless.” New English is definitely worth picking up if you liked the band’s other releases, the not so creatively titled LP and EP.
There is very definite dividing line for this band. If you like Morrissey and don’t mind a singer who borrows heavily from his vocal style, you’ll probably enjoy The Boyfriends. Call them Mozzeresque.