The Rascals - 'Rascalize' (Deltasonic) Released 23/06/08

When the Arctic Monkeys exploded in 2006, many decided there was gold in the South Yorkshire hills and overindulged in anything remotely linked to Sheffield or the band themselves. That said and done, it’s almost impossible to leave the Arctic Monkeys out of the equation when talking about Liverpudlian three-piece The Rascals; especially with lead vocalist Miles Kane being one half of Alex Turners side project The Last Shadow Puppets. Unfortunately the associated hype and expectation that surrounds their debut has been a tad exaggerated.

Kane’s vocal is undeniably similar to Turner’s in sound, confidence and delivery, but far from the catchy pop feel that many might be expecting, ‘Rascalize’ entrenches itself in the bands self-styled dark-psych aesthetic. Opening their account with the blurred edgy promise of the title track and continuing the trend through ‘Out Of Dreams’ and ‘Bond Girl’ the album reveals itself as anything but an easy listen; just three tracks in and its already an over complicated and inaccessible affair.

Both band and album pivot around Kane and his admirable ambition, but his accusatory observations are dispatched a heavy hand that only robs them of their intended profoundness. The shards of stop start guitar are laced with reverb and delay, but the instrumentation takes a back seat in favour of the vocal and a glut of accompanying lyrics that only clutter the likes of ‘The Glorified Collector’, ‘Fear Invicted Into The Perfect Stranger’ and ‘Does Your Husband Know That You’re On The Run’. ‘I’d Be Lying To You’ and ‘Freakbeat Phantom’ restore the balance through recognisable structures and tunes.

But its short lived and the galloping drudgery of ‘People Watching’, ‘Stockings To Suit’, ‘How Do I End This’ and ‘I’ll Give You Sympathy’ leave you, well, without much sympathy for The Rascals cause. It’s all to easy to write off an album after just one listen and ‘Rascalize’ deserves a second chance, but if after your third attempt you still don’t get it, don’t worry, you’re not on your own.