The Cut Ups - Building Bridges. Starting Here. Album Review

rating: 2.5

This album is the third LP released by the four piece from Exeter in the UK. The band also occasionally feature a female vocalist as well which is a nice change from the sea of men in the punk/rock genre. The band comprises of Jon, Dan, Jack & Reza with the occasional extra vocals and instruments provided by Franz, Paul, Felicity and Pippa. So onto the LP track by track... Exeter is also conveniently the first song on this 11 tracker. I wonder where they got the name from... It is a good song that is more rocky than punky to kick start the album in the right direction. The Gold War is up next and we see a slight turn to punk with harder vocals which to me don't sound as good as Exeter. However the Gold War has a punchy rhythm to keep you engaged. The Pacifist's Hymn offers the best guitaring heard so far, and again a step back into a more rocky feel. Building Bridges has the best vocals from these early tracks and to me could be the most marketable of the songs so far as it would fit in well with other larger bands in the punk/rock arena. Torches is in a similar vein to Building Bridges and incorporates the female vocals as well. She has quite a soft voice which offers a contrast to the lead male vocals being slightly raspy and more 'punk'. Teenage Danclub has a better sound in general, probably down to the mixing and mastering of the track. It almost seems to be a bit pop/rock rather than edgy and punk as the previous songs have allured to. I Can't Do This Alone again returns to a rock theme with another well played piece. Another Bad Mood again brings back the lovely female vocals which work on this calmer track. A poppy vibe making advantage of the gentle vocals provided by Pippa. I Learnt A Lesson is a return to punk/rock and some more shouty/raspy vocals. Srebrenica is the oddest name on show, and features some excellent drumming throughout. More loud vocals which seem to overpower the track and detract from the sound of the instruments. Finally we have I'll be Over Directly which again has very loud vocals compared to the rest of the song. Sometimes I can't quite understand what he's saying which is a bit odd, maybe it is the way he is singing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s3TGVCYwY1Q Overall it shows some promise although there is a lot of work for them to do as a band. They need to decide whether to be more rock or more punk and adapt their production and musical arrangements accordingly. As I said they have talent and promise there, but personally I believe they have a long way to go if they are going to make it big.