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"Serafin combine strong pop sensibilities with a hard
edge and incendiary live performance; think 'Blur
meets Foo Fighters' or 'Jane's Addiction meets Weezer.'" These are bold statements, be they the words from an ambitious
Serafin or their trusty PR machine. Either way, such a statement requires
some introspection, namely the
rather abrasive contrast from one auspice to another.
Opener Stephen's in the Sky is a proto percussion
intro to the album which suddenly cuts into the sleazy pop
suss of current single Day by Day. Things Fall Apart follows the depressing
themes of Stephen's In The Sky, touching
on a breakup in a sad/happy melodic style. No Happy is a brilliant, almost
spoken word short story, with the Serafin
rhythm section perfectly complementing Ben Fox Smith's devious delivery. Awkward
riffs and Fox Smith's now lazy croon
again showcase some ingenuitive ability on Numerical.
Due in large to the foursome evading the tendency for
British rock acts to ride the carpet of
their American counterparts, frontman Ben Fox Smith has a distinct style
which prowls between a Brian Molko-with-balls drawl through to all out vocal chord
shredorama... Ben, good luck live...
Similarly Serafin's sound has a vintage British feel
to it while the strings and production
are ingested and spewed, creating a chic 21st century rawness, something few
rock acts create in
these stripped to the bone, uber-producer supremo times.
Where the foursome fall short is, crucially, in the
final third. Build High, Tear Low is too damned annoying with clanky
melodies and an ill thought-out structure. An anthemic chorus and some hard-edged
vocal work from the impressive Fox Smith
dispel the Simon Cowell treatment though. Sadly the same can't be said for
the ensuing trio of fillers. It was only after these that I woke up in time for the upbeat, soft-rock ballad Who Could I Be?
Clocking at a sharp 42 minutes, No Push Collide is a
world away from the (now clear) PR soundbite. Not
that it's a bad thing. For while the above-mentioned quartet of names may
attract eyes and ears, Serafin have
kept their heads down and delivered a solid debut.
With festival dates and promo touring in the works,
Serafin have got the chance to bring their genuinely unique sound to
the masses. After that, some experience should help them fulfil the evident
potential. Roll on album number two...
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