Music

In spite of Johnny Borrell’s ill-fitting clothes, his awful teeth and the bohemian tales he regaled us with on Razorlight’s 2003 debut album ‘Up All Night’, it’s no secret that the boy wants to be a pop star. He’s certainly been gobby enough about it in the past and last year his band started to catch up with his raging ego by way of epic, stopgap single ‘Somewhere Else’.

This second album, then, finds Razorlight following a plan set in place by a sales-boosting appearance on ‘Parkinson’ in 2004: to sound bigger (U2 sized) and appeal to grown up Libertines fans, Oasis lads and Radio 2 listeners alike. Two tracks in and we’re met by one of the album’s potentially huge singles, ‘Who Needs Love?’.

A lilting, doo wop-tinged anthem, it displays a desire for stadiums and a gospel choir or two. And if that’s where they’re headed they’ll need a teary, widescreen moment (‘America’), a driving rock interlude (‘Pop Song 2006’) a summery pop song (‘Before I Fall To Pieces’) and a Motown-inspired belter for the mums (‘Hold On’) to complete the set.But this attempt to please everyone does suggest a compromise as they eschew the scuzzy quality of ‘Up All Night’ (for those unconquered fans) yet try to retain an edge (for the current ones). The paranoid ‘Los Angeles Waltz’ is tempered by the folksy, weak-as-dishwater ‘Kirby’s House’, while the initially spiky ‘Back To The Start’ turns into Police-like cod reggae, suitable as driving music for middle-aged men. The major disappointment, though, is Borrell’s increasingly prosaic way with words. Girl trouble and the weariness of touring dominate, but where’s the personal insight? We know he’s had a ‘fucked up year’ (which he refers to on ‘Los Angeles Waltz’) but he’s scared to reveal too much. Or does he have nothing to say?

Razorlight, and Borrell in particular, will be happy to trade in their spiky selves for a Number One album. But if they go any further into the middle of the road they’ll hit the barrier.