The Rapture’s second coming

For years, many concert goers were stuck in one place, feigning apathy to even the very bands they had come to see. These droopy fans - fans that seemed incapable of having a good time at any show - grew exponentially in the 90s, encouraged by their favorite bands (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Pavement.) Rock concerts had become entirely self-serious.

Back in 2002 there was a significant change taking place throughout many rock music scenes. People were starting to move and groove with the music. It quickly became fashionable to dance. A lot people point to the Rapture as the group that caused the drastic change. Pin-pointing one primary cause is of course impossible, but the band’s influence in ’02 and ’03 is pretty much undeniable. Their 2003 record Echoes still sounds just as fresh and exciting to me as it did then. But much like the Strokes, there was simply too much hype and weight placed on a band that just seems to be content on having a good time, and helping you have one too.

Too bad for the Rapture. They got bunched up in a hip genre that was quickly abandoned (dance-punk), and were, with Liars, pretty much the figureheads. Along with every band initially lumped in, they were forced to make a choice: stay in a potentially dead genre, or change their music drastically and risk the same fate as Liars’ sophomore release. After the Rapture’s peers were brutally trashed for becoming noisier, these NY guys decided to go the other direction.

So after a short-but-storied history, the Rapture finally releases a follow up. It’s not exactly a huge jump from their debut, but Pieces of the People We Love is much more melodic. They’ve pretty much ditched the punk tendencies completely. What results is an album that doesn’t feel as fresh on the first listen, but I think will end up just as well regarded as Echoes.

Lead single “Get Myself Into It” brings back that excellent saxophone from “I Need Your Love”. The beat feels almost identical to “Sister Savior”, so if you’re into hand-clapping then you’d probably love this dance track. The refrain can get a little irritating with Luke Jenner repeating “Gonna get myself into it!” at least 6 times each time through. Despite that, it’s difficult to listen while sitting down.

Opening the album is “Don Gon Do It”, which wastes no time bringing back their famed cowbell work. Although there’s not a bell solo quite like “Echoes”, it plays a very prominent role in the song. Jenner’s vocals are actually very harmonic, in place of his previous wail. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste. His off-kilter vocal style can have the tendency to turn people off.

The Rapture do lean a bit more toward new wave on Pieces. Especially notable is “The Devil” with its synthesizers and robotic guitar work. I found myself imagining Like A Virgin era Madonna pulling off this tune without any problem. Even stranger is “Calling Me” which oddly reminds me of U2 every time I hear it. With the focus on big guitars and bass in place of vocals and rhythm, this song might feel a little out of place. After spending more time with it though, I would actually say it’s one of the best tracks on the album.

Pieces of the People We Love isn’t groundbreaking like Echoes by any means. In fact, it’s not really groundbreaking at all. Despite that, I’m still really enjoying this album. The Rapture just have a way of making experimental music fun, which is not something many bands can do. If you’re looking for a fun, dancy record then this is exactly what you need to pick up.