Review: Lay Down the Law

Switches
"Lay Down the Law"
(Interscope)
Sounds like: Franz Ferdinand and T-Rex after a few Red Bulls
Grade: B

With ever-catchy choruses, shouting, clapping and a brazen inclination for drama, the Switches' debut album "Lay Down the Law" meets the expectations one would have of a loud British pop band, but they've managed to produce a distinctly amusing sound. With their whiny, high-pitched backup, they sound a bit like the Darkness, a band they once opened for, or for some listeners, Queen.

In tracks like the single "Drama Queen" or "Step Kids in Love," the Switches tell a twitch-inducing story with an accompanying musical plot line, managing to steer clear of an annoying, grating sound, which the Darkness failed to do in some ways.

Bishop's voices sound silly in their slower track "The Need To Be Needed" because they have yet to escape the notion of a fast-times rock parody. Although their lyrics are rarely introspective, they've taken the time to talk about something discernable as opposed to yelling rhymes. In "Every Second," for example, singer Matt Bishop reminds us that "every second counts in love."

They've beat the Vines in a competition for variety and Franz Ferdinand for their excitement, but they've got a few more albums to go before they rival one of their key inspirations: the legendary David Bowie. In the meantime, have fun with this one - they sure did.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools

Be the first to comment on this story

• Name: (required)
• Email: (required)
• NOTE: Email address will not be published
• Website:

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

Email notify will not work because you are not currently logged in.
Click here to quickly login or create a free account.

Type your comment below (html not allowed)

  I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.