The Blakes - The Blakes
The Seattle trio sound like they've been kept in storage since 2001
It's easy to get an idea of what to expect from The Blakes by citing their apparent influences: early Strokes in the playful kick of Modern Man, Country Girl-mode Primal Scream in the bluesy Magoo, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in the loose, grungy sway of upcoming single Don't Want That Now. And the problem with that is that none of the above are doing anything remotely exciting these days, and neither are The Blakes. The Seattle trio sound like they've been kept in storage since 2001, and now arrive blinking in the glare of an indie scene that's taken a few more interesting turns than they're capable of. Interest is piqued by the darker, detuned guitars of Vampire, or the wall-of-sound effect in Streets, but a combination of weak songwriting, uninspiring musicianship and generic production values equates to a debut that's already behind the times. [Nick Mitchell]