And Then There Were None

Who Speaks For Planet Earth?

Written by: PP on 20/03/2009 12:23:02

And then there were the next 'neon' band. The number of bands following in the direction set by Enter Shikari seems to be multiplying by the day; the idea of throwing in europop / dance music rhythms into pop punk / hardcore songs is definitely the trend of the moment, and that's something And Then There Were None have realized. Apparently these guys used to be a straightforward metalcore band, but the frontman ran out of ideas and therefore decided to do a sonic 180 to hop on the synth-electro-rock-pop bandwagon. I think here's where we all cry SELL OUTS together, eh?

"Who Speaks For Planet Earth?" combines the authentic European eurodance / trance / techno / whatever rhythms together with an energetic, albeit distant, pop punk vibe present especially in the vocal department. So expect loads of 'oomph oomph oomph oomph' rhythms, plenty of auto-tune in the vocals with the occasional digitized effects that have me thinking Eiffel 65 in places, and of course ridiculously catchy choruses. If you aren't singing along to "John Orr The Arsonist", "The Hospital", or the techno-flavoured cover of the late 80s hit "Right Here Waiting", then you have very little sense for melody indeed.

But should I rate an album highly just because it's fucking catchy? I don't think so, because no matter what track I turn to, it all feels distinctly unoriginal and tried-before. "Action Is The Anecdote", for instance, has a vocal harmony that I swear is stolen from Taking Back Sunday (~0:15-0:20) but I just can't place it exactly where. The beginning of "The Hospital" sort of reminds me of some cleaner Enter Shikari moments, and although And Then There Were None rely much more on European-style synths than the latter and have no screaming at all, it's crystal clear where these guys have taken their cues from before writing this album. But even if "Who Speaks For Planet Earth?" does sound somewhat superficial in places, I'm embarassed to admit that I actually like most of the songs on the record. They might sound naive and have little artistic integrity, but hell, they are catchy and they're actually one of my bands-of-choice to put on during one of my late night poker sessions.

Download: John Orr The Arsonist, The Hospital, Than The Watchmaker
For the fans of: Enter Shikari, Colon Open Bracket, I Set My Friends On Fire
Listen: Myspace

Release date 24.02.2009
Tooth & Nail

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