Razorlight - Up All Night (album/ Vertigo) By Steve Rudd

The rise and rise and rise and rise in popularity of Razorlight, frankly, has been utterly extraordinary. It seems, in just a few precious weeks, that they have been elevated way above their hard-working class roots into relative superstars, given the huge exposure that their latest Golden Touch single has been blessed with (whether it be on TOTP or at Glastonbury). Then, incredibly, they were given the opportunity to perform such a single as part of the Olympic Torch Relay gig down The Mall in front of thousands of people. Literally, thousands and thousands of people.

Yet, just a little while ago, hardly anybody had heard of Razorlight. Indeed, their rise to prominence in the rock world could - to extents - be likened to the way in which The Darkness suddenly took hold of everybody's attention. While Razorlight's music is certainly of the rock variety, it isn't in The Darkness cock-rock vein. The Light frontman in floppy-haired Johnny Borrell is a far more reserved singer and gruffly soulful in his ways, with this album being opened by a truly beautiful piano melody before a wicked guitar riff politely barges its way into Leave Me Alone.

Every last one of these thirteen tracks is endearingly anthemic and any one could be released as a single. It's one of those classic debut albums that the quartet should be able to live off for a very long time, with Rock 'n' Roll Lies being one of the finest cuts, graced with some coolly harmonious backing vocals as Johnny croons, You're all tied up in your backstage lines.

Past singles Rip It Up and Stumble And Fall sound splendidly proud, while To The Sea stands-out as being the first song produced by Johnny. In no way do Razorlight have punk or metal leanings. Their rock isn't particularly loud or hard. It is, on the upside, supremely poppy in a retro-rock kind of way, and exciting in the way that the band Mower's music is.

Up All Night is an astonishingly mature album and, come the end of 2004, will inevitably be voted at the top of many people's favourite albums of the year lists. And there really is little wonder why. (5/5)

www.razorlight.co.uk Release Date: June 28th 2004.

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