CD Review: Romance At Short Notice

Band: Dirty Pretty Things

1. "Buzzards and Crows" - A psychedelic punk influenced track that makes your head spin. That said, the song is quite catchy. It sets a new tone that clears any similarity between Dirty Pretty Things and The Libertines.
2. "Hippy's Son" - This song starts off very slow but is quickly defined by a fusion of Brit Pop and Punk. Staying true to the song's name, a breach of psychedelia sprouts in the middle of the tune.
3. "Plastic Hearts" - A volte-face from the previous two tracks' gloomy tone, this song is very upbeat and is reminiscent of some of The Strokes earlier music. The "La La La La" chorus might have you wondering if The Fratellis were the ones who authored this track.
4. "Tired Of England" - Straight up punk right here. Just when you thought Dirty Pretty Things was getting further from The Libertines...you have this track that is symptomatic of the licentious disbanded mega-group. A comedic spoken verse is sung towards the end of the song that will make you anything but "Tired Of England."
5. "Come Closer" - One of the slowest tracks on the album for sure, this one is different if nothing else. Coming closer to look at the lyrics, you will notice a beautifully written song beneath its melodic shortcomings.
6. "Fault Lines" - ?????????
7. "Kicks of Consumption" - Post-Punk Revival describes this song better than any other genre. Fast paced, heavy guitar...what else? If you want a comparison, this song sounds a bit like "Monsters" by Matchbook Romance.
8. "Best Face" - An acoustic track meets a hard lined electric track. I like the slow beginning and the heavier middle and ending. One of the best songs on the album? Check.
9. "Truth Begins" - ????????
10. "Chinese Dogs" - What makes this song different from your average punk anthem? Not too much. I hate to say it, but this sounds like a filler more than anything else.
11. "The North" - The slowest of slow on the album, there is a weird 1970s Velvet Underground kind of thing going on in this song. Make believe Lou Reed is British and you have an Arcadian proto-punk jam.
12. "Blood On My Shoes" - ?????????

Grade: 7.5 Out Of 10 - Romance At Short Notice is a departure from the group's garage rock debut album Waterloo to Anywhere. Romance... offers a creative blend of pure punk rock and pure Brit Pop. If you are looking for another "Doctors and Dealers" or "Bang Bang You're Dead", you will be disappointed to find neither. Give this album a shot and I'm sure you will find more good than bad. It is a bloody shame that three of the tracks were unavailable online at the time of this review!