Lostprophets - Start Something

Over the last few years, the airwaves and music video stations have been bombarded with cookie cutter alternative rock bands. Whatever genre you want to call it, we all know it when we here it with the same reaction, “Oh great, another one of these bands! I bet they are super original!” Helpless, they are judged and condemned before the opening verse is over. So this time, I decided to open up my mind and see what I could hear. The Welsh band The Lost Prophets are riding high on a catchy single these days. Their first major release of significance, “Start Something,” is straightforward rock with no apologies. At first, you can’t help shake some of the sameness it has to a general sound of late, but you also can’t shake what is ultimately an enjoyable album. Kicking off with “We Still Kill The Old Way” and flowing into “To Hell We Ride,” we get two catchy tracks that are unique enough to pass grade. The aforementioned first single, “Last Train Home,” is one of those infectiously building songs you can’t help but love. Offering a twist with its pre-chorus into chorus approach, it gets under your ears and is hard to stop spinning. The albums second single, “Make A Move,” provides a nice one-two punch that, while not as solidly catchy as the first single, still will be a radio friendly hit. “Burn, Burn” and “I Don’t Know” maintain a nice level of consistency but don’t outwardly jump off the speaker for you. The highlight of the disc arguably comes in “Hello Again,” which instantly catches on and grabs a hold, showcasing lead singer Ian Watkins’ stellar voice. Never overplaying the nu-metal growl, Ian, for the most part, controls his voice to form the centerpiece of the band. The second half of the album closes out well with tracks like “Goodbye Tonight” and “A Million Miles,” both strong contenders for at least a little radio consideration. Listening to Wilco, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead and whatever indie buzz band is currently hot can often give you a taste for the Filet Mignon of the music world, but after a while you just want something sweet and good. The Lost Prophets aren’t the saviors of rock’n’roll, but the last time I checked, they weren’t pretending to be. This is a catchy album, and one worthy of staying in your car stereo for more than a few good spins on a nice summer spin. A refreshing little change of pace from the sometimes gloomy world of music. [www.lostprophets.com]