LoveLikeFire 'Tear Ourselves Away' (Heist Or Hit) Released 14/09/09

Say it fast enough and they could be confused with a should of seen it coming STD contracted through the toothless grin of a South East Asian hooker. They might not be as exotic but LoveLikeFire are just as memorable and if nothing else unlike the former won’t leave you walking like John Wayne.

Early incarnations of the band shared Las Vegas apartment and rehearsal space with none other than The Killers, before the decision to relocate to San Francisco to cash in on a burgeoning scene was made. With two EP’s to their name, the Bay area was rapidly taken by storm and the quartet, with the local press in agreement, decided that their bang could easily command more buck, their debut ‘Tear Ourselves Away’ acting as catalyst for worldwide superstardom.

And why wouldn’t it; the anxious dynamics of a band born of frustration provide a barrage of dramatic guitars with the sole purpose of showcasing a uniquely familiar vocal. Yet despite the immediate surface appeal, the inclusion of these core attributes make it hard to meaningfully differentiate eleven tracks of ideas from a five year North American big stage harvest.

Stadia aspirations withstanding ‘William’ with its pressing guitars and ferocious drums built to fit the central importance of Ann Yu’s concentrated, quivering, pleading vocal confidence, provides an emphatic blueprint of sorts for the remainder of the album. It’s a vocal style that brings to mind the likes of Emily Haines, Karen O and even Ida Maria and one that in part explains but does less to reveal a strict upbringing by parents with classical ambitions.

But vying for space on a crowded global stage does have its drawbacks; heard it before, heard it better, bored of hearing it all ring true to an extent, yet despite the unbending formulaic execution the power invested in ‘Crows Feet’ and ‘Good Judgement’ to name a few is enough to temporarily allay any misgivings.

Ambitious and overused it might be but like it or not the female led cut and paste approach to drama-ridden rock is one to all but ensure overnight interest, gradual recognition and maybe even long-term success.