iLiKETRAiNS - 'Elegies To Lessons Learnt' (Beggars Banquet) Released 01/10/07

iLiKETRAiNS have always been a bit different. There’s their habit of donning British rail uniforms on stage. There’s their name. The fact they released a single that was nine minutes in length. And then there is the subject matter of their songs, which previously veered from Captain Scott’s Antarctic expedition to the life of chess champion Bobby Fischer. So, even a quick glance at 'Elegies To Lessons Learnt' should confirm that what’s on offer will not be your usual, bog standard run of the mill indie that present nothing more than an action replay of a night out. No, instead we have as subject matter the Great Fire of London, a round the world’s yachtsman’s attempt at deceiving his way to a world record and the Salem witch trials. The Arctic Monkeys this is not.  This is also the first album that Gigwise has encountered that comes complete with its very own handbook, describing the historical figures that each song is about.

Yet, this would be nothing more than a curiosity if the music wasn’t of a high enough quality. Thankfully, despite the doom and gloom that clings like cobwebs to the songs, there is a sufficient amount of melody here. This is epic, rousing doom rock that calls to mind several bands, from the complex instrumentation of Sigur Ros to the destructive soundscapes of Mogwai, all powered along by Dave Martin’s stirring vocals. While his throaty intonations of dread suggest a lucrative career in movie voiceovers beckons, for now his spoken word vocals can carry the band along. He’s an unseemly cross between Ian Curtis and Morrissey and serves as the centrepiece while the band’s music swells around him.

There’s something quite cinematic about several tracks here, with music building and building to a thundering crescendo of noise. Or until your ears actually drop off from the growing screech. 'Death Of An Idealist' in particular stands out, featuring a both haunting opening with Martin declaring “This is a breakdown”  and a military drumbeat. Guitarist Guy Bannister’s wiry work is nothing short of sublime throughout, continually bubbling away until finally erupting with a torrent of sound, especially on opening track ‘We All Fall Down’ and the more subtle and genteel ‘The Voice Of Reason’.