Glasvegas : EUPHORIC HEARTBREAK

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/glasvegaseuphoric.jpg" alt="Glasvegas : EUPHORIC HEARTBREAK" />An over grand and overwrought record that peaks at wanna-be Coldplay. ...
Glasvegas : EUPHORIC HEARTBREAK
5.8 Columbia
2011 

Glasvegas : EUPHORIC HEARTBREAK

Glasgow’s Glasvegas broke through in their native land a few years ago with their self-titled debut (QRO review), but the grand Brit-rock felt a bit paint-by-the-numbers in The States, leading to a much smaller impact across the pond.  Well, that goes double for their follow-up, EUPHORIC///HEARTBREAK\, an over-grand and overwrought record that peaks at wanna-be Coldplay.

To be a bit fair, the wanna-be Coldplay tracks like "I Feel Wrong (Homosexuality Pt. 1)" and "Lots Sometimes" want to be Coldplay’s most recent, and better, record, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (and not just because Glasvegas singer James Allan’s Scottish brogue makes "Lots" sound like "Lost", the title of a song on Viva la Vida, and an odd Lost, the TV show, current running through the record – QRO review).  The orchestral stab in "Wrong" at least mixes well with grand & wrought, and "Euphoria Take My Hand" is almost uplifting.

But most of the record consists of interchangeable, overdone tracks, where you can barely understand Allan through his accent and the ultra-soaring effects.  Glasvegas at least had a guitar base for the songs – other than perhaps "Dream Dream Dreaming", EUPHORIC is just grand and overwrought wave of emotion after grand and overwrought wave of emotion.  When one of the relative highlights is Allan’s mother reassuring her son (Mrs. Allan’s brogue makes her more comforting, yet you can still actually understand her), spoken at the end of closer "Change", that tells you something about the record.

Glasvegas did embrace fully what they want to be on EUPHORIC///HEARTBREAK\ (the slashes in the title are even meant to be waves cresting and falling).  It’s just not all that special or that good.

MP3 Stream: "Euphoria Take My Hand"

{audio}/mp3/files/Glasvegas – Euphoria Take My Hand.mp3{/audio}

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