by Debra Au
Daily Lobo
For all of those who thought the band Oasis was over and done with, there's good news.
The '90s British group isn't getting back together, but it seems like their musical style and band composition have been reincarnated. The Subways is almost exactly like the former, being composed of British guitar, drums and vocals.
The Subways, I suppose, is slightly different. In addition to having two brothers in the same band, the front man, Billy Lunn, is engaged to the only female in this trio. This isn't exactly a formula for success.
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What happens when intrinsic sibling rivalry kicks in? Or when there is trouble in paradise for the two lovebirds? I envision canceled tour dates and a tear-jerker of a "Behind the Music: The Subways" special within the next few years on VH1.
Young for Eternity is a fitting title for the band's U.S.-released album. They'll be broken up - or washed up - before they have a change to mature musically.
Maybe it's the whiny vocals or the simpleton lyrics that makes the Subways awkward. The 13 tracks, for the most part, are too slow. Either the vocals are too slow to keep pace with drum beats or the whole song is just too sluggish in general. One listen to "No Goodbyes" or "She Sun" and many listeners will agree.
As for the lyrics, don't expect too much in the way of intellect and wit. Most songs are only a couple of stanzas long, including the choruses of repeating simple phrases, which are usually the title of the song, such as "Young for Eternity" on the song "Young for Eternity" and "Oh Yeah" for the song - yes, you guessed it - "Oh Yeah."
The band does venture out of this formula for the last track "Somewhere," however, where they repeat "Nah nah nah nah" for a solid minute.
A word to the wise for up-and-coming songwriters: If your chorus is mainly comprised of guttural sounds, it does not constitute a refrain - it's only indigestion. Take some Tums, but don't torture listeners for three-and-a-half minutes.
While longevity certainly won't grace this band in the end, it would be nice to think of the Subways as a nice tribute band to all those good British ones that paved the way for this band to have fleeting success.
