Cord: Other People's Live Are Not As Perfect As They Seem. Island, out now.

 

Cord say they offer a bit of Coldplay, a touch of Muse and a slice of Queens Of The Stone Age.

 

In a nutshell…

 

Anthemic, not good enough.

 

What's it all about?

 

Ten tracks from a band trying to show off that they could be Coldplay's Muse-esque successors and get US stadiums singing their anthems.

 

Who's it by?

 

Debut from the four-piece led by singer James Leeds. After three years of East Anglia gigs, the band headed up to London and went home with a five-album deal from Island, as you do. Three tracks are produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay) and the rest by Martin "Youth" Glover (The Verve, Embrace).

 

As an example…

 

"I'm starting to believe that money's not the route of everything. I'm beginning to see most happiness comes to us free." The Best Days of Our Lives

 

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

 

Steve Lamacq apparently first flagged them up as potential hitmakers after a gig at London's Water Rats. There is some doubt whether this potential has blossomed into anything worth worrying about.

 

What the others say

 

"A supercharged, soaring anthem reaching heights other guitar bands don't reach." - The Sun on track Winter.

 

"It won't be of interest to anyone who holds imagination, rebellion, passion or fury dear in rock'n'roll. Ultimately, this dreary collection isn't quite bad enough to hate." – The NME

 

So is it any good?

 

Cord's website claims they offer a bit of Coldplay, a touch of Muse and a slice of Queens Of The Stone Age.

 

The album opens well with some electronic '80s synth warbles, but Go Either Way pretty soon dips into unimaginative safe indie rock with singer Leeds saying "I just what to understand why I'm so dissatisfied". I could answer with a sarcastic comment.

 

Cord claim to be a mixed bag that some people will find it hard "to get" – switching genres too much, but the only genres immediately apparent are slightly moody and slightly rocky. You don't get it because it is not very good.

 

Lyrically it's poor and musically it is unoriginal. Other People's Lives… sounds like other people's music, just not as good. You listen thinking, that's a bit like Echo & the Bunnymen, this is a bit like Pink Floyd by Coldplay. Wasn't that Muse on a bad day? But what is Cord? What does Cord sound like? Answer, other people's B-sides.

 

Sea Of Troubles and Winter (a former Sun single of the week and chart high position of 34) sound like poor Coldplay. Winter is the best track.

 

They have a 'live for today' track Give Me Today, but Leeds tells us "Don't slave for your pension" and the deeply meaningful for a 14-year-old "Wealth is for the accumulation of life. Life's not the accumulation of wealth". This is hardly I hope I die before I get old.

 

Elsewhere where things are going badly ("These could be the best days of our lives, if only we could open up our eyes") they chuck in a string section to add "meaning" and "depth". The overall impression is something quite shallow.

 

Cord recently signed a five-album deal with Island – home of The Killers, PJ Harvey, Keane - and I can only assume the A&R people were taken along by their apparently great live performances and strong following in East Anglia. Perhaps Cord could mature into something good, but I doubt it.

 

This album and Cord leaves the listener shrugging their shoulders. Other People's Lives… is not bad just bland. Forty-three minutes of anyone's life wasted.

 

3/10

 

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/entertainment/reviews/reviews/music/cord-other-peoples-live-are-not-as-perfect-as-they-seem-$453481.htm

I actually have the album.

Probably the first person in The Netherlands to have it too.

 

Pretty good band, and the album's fairly ok too.

3/10 is a bit harsh. It's really not that bad.

 

So they signed a 5-album deal?

Wow.

Island must really have faith in these guys. I am under the impression that the first album won't sell that well (much like, say, Morning Runner), but it does sound promising. Who knows, they might release a classic one day. They really have potential.

Req: CORD Other People's Lives Are Not As Perfect As They Seem