british sea power

Naming an album Do You Like Rock Music? is risky business, simply because it prompts condescending critics like myself to write the shortest review possible: "Yes, so don't buy this record." And don't get me wrong; I really want that to be the entire discussion on British Sea Power's third and most anticipated album.

Unfortunately, reviews have both a word limit and a word minimum. With that said, Do You Like Rock Music? is the latest work from the four-man, Brighton group whose fame in England has never successfully translated across the pond.

Their music resembles a lot of other foreign bands that have found fame in America. Songs like "Lights Out for Darker Skies," "Canvey Island" and "No Lucifer" all sound like British Sea Power doing their best Athlete, Kaiser Chiefs or Arcade Fire impressions (the last of which, to be fair, is Canadian). Yet, while occasional songs show signs of life, no distinct sense of style ever emerges from Do You Like Rock Music?.

Furthermore, the band's lyrics are full of the vague, trite statements that leave many people today resenting the state of modern rock. On "No Need to Cry," vocalist Scott Wilkinson remarks "When it's good, it's not bad/When it's bad, I don't mind." In "Waving Flags," he reveals that "We're all waving flags, so don't be scared/We're only here for a while, and it's all a joke." Not exactly my definition of useful or worthwhile advice.

Finally, the record's concluding piece, "We Close Our Eyes" does not even qualify as rock music and instead consists of more than seven minutes of weird, unnatural sound experimentation.

So there. After nearly three hundred words, I can now confidently reiterate my first point: if you do indeed like rock music, it's best to avoid British Sea Power and spend your time looking elsewhere.