Razorlight - America

It usually takes around three or four albums and relentless critical acclaim before a band disappears entirely up its own rectum, but not so in Razorlight's case. Having abandoned all that was good about first album 'Up All Night' – the polished guitars, the old-fashioned ear for a tune – Johnny Borrell & co have now succumbed to softcore balladry in tawdry new single America. The blunt, recycled lyrics, such as 'there's panic in America', say nothing about America nor Razorlight, and by halfway through you wish Borrell would stop harping on about the place and just emigrate. [Nick Mitchell]