Reuben - 'Racecar is Racecar Backwards' (Xtra Mile) Released 21/06/04

In a three-piece rock band, ballsy vocals will make or break acceptance.  The comparisons that Reuben have drawn to Foo albums are accurate, but guitarist/singer Jamie Lenman’s vocals aren’t as polished as Dave Grohl’s.  If he could pick up anything from the Foo master, it would be to scream less.  His overused one-pitched screeching, as shown in the first two tracks (well, most tracks really), sounds more ouch than oh yeah!  It gets real tired real quick.  Lenman needs to ride his rich voice, maybe buy an Incubus album and listen to Brandon Boyd cleanly switch from sweetly tempting the ladies to rockin’ out.  Also, a bit more variation with the ole' axe would strengthen many tracks. 

Drummer Guy Davis isn’t scared of standing out, which is vital for a small band. He has great transitions from verse to chorus to verse that, like in ‘Noone Wins the War’, ‘Our song’ is a kick ass two minute diddy (except the damn screaming), and hints at a level of quality that they are capable of reaching. 

‘Tonight My Wife is Your Wife’ aims where the band’s sound needs to head. However, the first few minutes of ‘Missing Fingers,’ and similar overzealous jams throughout the album, are a step backwards.  Save the weak tributes to Slayer for shows at biker bars.   

As a follow up to the whiff of success they received on MTV2 and Radio One charts, the eight month wait for this Reuben album reeks of promise. They have a respectable single in ‘Freddy Kreuger,’ which should become commonplace in the rock world. By mixing the excited immaturity chronicled in albums like Silverchair’s ‘Frogstomp’ with frequent head bangin’ sections of good 90’s style rock, a few structural tweaks will set the boys on their way to international attention.