Children Collide - The Long Now (Album)
» Children Collide hit the road - June 12, 2008
» Children Collide - Northcote Social Club, Vic - July 25, 2008
» Grinspoon - Hi-Fi, The, VIC - June 26, 2008
» Children Collide - On the best kind of collision course - June 4, 2007
» Children Collide - Watch this space! - December 1, 2006
Children Collide are an extremely interesting 3-piece from Melbourne. They've been around for a couple of years now, having hit the scene hard with an impossible-to-ignore live act and some very catchy tunes. I remember seeing them open for Wolf & Cub, and they were a band that got a lot of people's attention.
Their debut album, The Long Now, tends to grab the attention of the listener, too. The music is slickly produced, with Dave Sardy at the mixing desk. He's a great rock producer, having worked with Jet, Wolfmother and Oasis among others. He adds a touch of urgency as well as a shiny coat of professionalism that you just can't get working on your MacBook using GarageBand.
Their sound is typical of modern mainstream rock, in that it sounds like early 2000's indie pop. Echoes of Klaxons, Kings Of Leon, and an angrier version of The Strokes reverberate throughout their music, but there is some originality in there too. It's a very promising first effort from the three local boys; they aim high and hit the mark on most occasions. There is an air of pretensiousness to their lyrics and their press release is stupid, but I'd rather exagerrated pretense than blandness.
The single, Social Currency, is a solid, thumping song. It's quality, and a great introduction to the band and their sound. If you listen to Triple J, you've probably already heard it. If you haven't, head over to their MySpace. If you like rock n roll, indie or pop music, it's well worth checking out.
I'm not actually reviewing the album – I've received a 5-track sampler which features some words from, I assume, the bandmembers concerning the message and intent behind the album, as well as some short descriptions of the meaning behind the songs. It reveals a sense of self-importance; what kind of band does that on their first album? The kind of band that thinks that everyone cares what they think, I suppose.
Again, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, or even the wrong thing to do; I'm just making a note of it.
Their music is pretty good, but I get the feeling that this band truly believes they will be the next big thing. Only time will vindicate – or condemn – them.
