It’s been over seven years since The Rifles released their previous studio album, but these east Londoners return with a new release ‘Love Your Neighbour’ this month. Vocalist/guitarist Joel Stoker says, “Love Your Neighbour is saying we’re all in this big old mess together and it would be good to get along a bit more and enjoy it. Talk to people more, help each other out when you can, say good morning and maybe take your head away from your phone for five minutes and appreciate the people standing next to you. I’d like to think that the record captures life’s daily situations that we all come across, all wrapped up in three-minute bundles that you can sing along to.”
The album opens with ‘The Kids Won’t Stop’ with Joel reflecting on how life inevitably changes from the first flush of youth into the demands of adulthood. A quite reflective earworm of a number that races along at times and becomes fairly anthemic. There`s a nice keyboard undertone to `Days of Our Lives` which again is an introspective musing that if i`m honest put me in mind of Madness.
`Mr Sunflower` is a kind of utopian ditty and encourages us to maybe take a little time out of our busy lives and engage positively with each other to ensure a better and brighter world. We enjoy a lighter mid-paced pop offering with `There Is My Heart` which has some nice harmonies shared on route.
`Out For The Weekend` is a fairly joyous foot tapper and sums up that midweek downer whilst keeping an eye on the coming weekend break. We have a ballad like submission with `Fall Apart` a deeply wistful piece that will probably ensure lit phones and lighters being held up when played live.
`All Aboard` has a sort of poetic-ness about it and is the kind of track that will have you nodding along to. There`s a retro-ish vibe to the keyboard driven `Money Go Round` which to me hinted at Them`s `Gloria`.
`Venus` is another powerfully contemplative number reflecting on the beguiling nature of the female species. We experience a lighter musing on life and all that that entails with `My Life`, a bright and breezy composition.
The album closes out with `Starting Monday` which has a gentle lead in before bursting to life, a final meditative musing on one`s current way of life and a loose promise to make positive changes.
‘Love Your Neighbour’ is a brave move from this indie quintet of Joel Stoker (vocals/guitar), Lucas Crowther (guitar), Rob Pyne (bass), Grant Marsh (drums) and Deano Mumford (keys) who could have just churned out an album in a similar vein to what has made them previously successful but no they`ve tried something a little different.
This new release shows a sign of maturity but still retains that infectious charm for which the band were renowned.
Rating 8 / 10
