Search - Takeover UK :: Running With the Wasters

Great Britpop from Pittsburgh

Dewey Gurall | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 06/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, if you haven't heard yet, let's get it out of the way; yes, they sound British, and yes, they have "UK" right there in the name, but...wait for it...they're from...PITTSBURGH! But that "UK" is no accident. This is Britpop through American eyes, and it beats the hell out of most of what's coming from across the pond these days.



Takeover UK specialize in upbeat, Brit music hall influenced pop with gigantic infectious choruses and high energy instrumentation. The best tracks embed themselves on your brain after just one listen and won't let go. At the very least, the title track and "Ah La La" should be destined for radio immortality if there's any justice in the world.



"Lonely Ones" opens the disc with a glam rock bounce and jubilant horns, before immediately changing gears for the punky "Never Been So Sick". After the one-two punch of the aforementioned "Ah La La" and the title track comes the folky "Denise" with steel guitar and accordion, which could give them a "Hey There Delilah" style hit.



It's also a beautifully produced record (yeah, they'll always be records to me), full of subtle instrumental touches. But if there's a "production number", it's the cabaret-like "Sleep It All Away". It's here the band prove they're more than mere popsters with a song full of sweeping orchestration and atmospheric late night saxophone. Great!



Other personal faves include "Distant Shores" and "Damn Tryin'" which bring to mind early nineties Britpop, specifically The Wonder Stuff (one of my all time faves). But even the lesser tracks, like "Kill Me Dead" and "Birthday Boy", boast killer choruses and would be highlights for most new bands.



In this post-White Stripes era, most debut albums are glorified live recordings with little or no thought put into production or arrangement. It's actually become cool to have your record sound as unproduced as possible. It's refreshing then, to hear a band put this kind of effort into making their debut sound this good. But the production never outweighs the songs. And it's that combination of great songs well played and produced that make this a memorable disc that I'll be playing for quite some time.



Takeover UK are already getting a lot of national notice, both in the press and on the radio. I hope they do well because great Britpop is always a welcome thing.

Even if it comes from Pittsburgh."