The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love
A more focused yet hedonistic assault on the dancefloor
Calling all hipsters in all art-school unions, The Rapture have returned! Three years on from their punk-funk debut Echoes, the New York scenesters showcase a more focused yet hedonistic assault on the dancefloor in Pieces of the People We Love. This time the screeching guitar has been tamed, the cyclical bass brought to the fore and the essential cowbell is still struck in all the right places. The Rapture are at their best when in full, frenetic flight, as in the first six tracks, which range from the Stooges-like title song to a fat funk rhythm worthy of Talking Heads in Whoo! Alright - Yeah… Uh Huh. In the final third the quality sags as the tempo drops, epitomised in the tired Calling Me. But for such an irresistible majority – which reflects the studio input of Danger Mouse as well as a certain Chemical Bros mixer – The Rapture's new offering is well worth your hard-earned pennies. [Nick Mitchell]