Thieves Like Us - Play Music Album Review

Review of Thieves Like Us album Play Music

As you may remember Thieves Like Us was a song put out by New Order, so you may not be surprised that the French based threesome named 'Thieves Like Us' borrow heavily from the Mancunian stalwarts.

The electronic trio include vocals from American Andry Grier, synthesisers are handled by the Swdedish Bjorn Berglund (I think every synthesiser should be handled by a Swede named Bjorn by the way; synthesisers lend themselves to Swedes, and Swedes to synths likewise) and Pontus Berghe on drums, also Swedish (I wish I was called Pontus).

The first half of their debut 'Play Music' opens up with the slightly dejected 'Program Of The First Part'. The repetitive use the vocal hook in this track is borrowed heavily from Ian Curtis' style, in the same way bands like Interpol and Editors have done, and the bontempi sounding keyboard gives the track a Germanic sound. or possibly a Swedish one.

The second track 'Drugs In My Body' opens with a disco riff, that seems to have been taken from the dance floors of 1976, although the track has a distinctive stripped back feel to it. The bouncing synth rhythm and the four-four drum beat of 'Fass' again has a New Order feel to it, I suspect the guys had been listening to Blue Monday prior to writing this one.

Another stand out track on the album is 'Your Heart Feels' which has some nice effects and keyboard usage, with Grier's slightly off key melancholic vocals giving the track a hypnotic edge. 'Miss You' tips around the edge of the hip hop pond as far as it's funked up beats and 'Headlong Into The Night' has a distracted Pet Shop Boys feel to it.

Overall the album was worth the time taken to listen to it I think, and I played it through several more times. Whether this was because I found the album inspirational or, whether I needed to check if I had missed something, I'm not too sure. If I am being honest however, I don't think it will be a flag to make me stop at the T category when I am skipping through my iPod by the pool. Pablo reporting from a hot and dusty Saudi Arabia.

Rating: 6/10

Pablo 'Pontus' Roffey