(Warner)

Ill-advised pastiche epic from UK trio

Some bands strive to achieve Britishness and others have Britishness thrust upon them. Those in the latter ride high on a wave of national pride (and cocaine) on the back of (usually) one culturally cathartic monolith of an album. On their debut 2007 album, We’ll Live And Die In These Towns, Coventry trio The Enemy had Britishness thrust upon them. Although the album wasn’t a border-crossing international smash, songs like You’re Not Alone, Away From Here and the title track were genuine British rock anthems for Generation Pomm(Y). Seeped in Britpop nostalgia and inspired by The Jam, they smacked of optimism in the face what they described as an otherwise grey Midlands’ existence. On their follow up, Music For The People, frontman Tom Clarke and co. grapple to achieve Britishness on a far more grandiose scale. Clunky, overblown epics like the aptly titled Elephant Song and No Time For Tears recall the colossal riffing and glimmering theatrics of glam while 51^st State is pure Clash. Others such as the ballad-led pop of Last Goodbye borrow from the songbook of Robbie Williams – an artist who has flown the Union Jack proudly within the international mainstream for well over a decade. Then there’s Nation Of Checkout Girls – more or less Pulp’s Common People redone. Jarvis Cocker took her to a supermarket because he had to start somewhere and in what he saw as a place for budding romance, The Enemy simply stopped off for chips and drinks because that’s just, well, British, innit?

**½

JACK LANGRIDGE

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