New Music Tuesday

The Daily Collegian - 1/30/07

With an inherent ability to convey meaning through the combination of words and instrumentation, Graham Coxon transcends the gap between the United State's music scene and the United Kingdom's. Although he has only charted in the UK, Coxon has what it takes to be a successful, worldwide star. Coxon is absolutely and totally refreshing and his newest work, "Love Travels At Illegal Speeds" is an almost flawless gem which tends to go unrecognized in record store bargain bins.

Drawing heavily on the 70s and 80s punk scene, Graham Coxon melds the thick guitar sound of The Ramones, screaming solos and quick upstrokes of The Clash, and a singing voice that sounds as dirty as Sid Vicious all while melding them into his own unique sound. Any fan of old-school punk will immediately take to "…Illegal Speeds" and recognize Coxon's inherent ability as a musician.

As a former guitarist of Blur, Coxon is no stranger to the music business. Perhaps it is this which truly defines him as a musician. By knowing how to put together the sounds he so beautifully makes, Coxon makes his music flow and bend to his will, creating the perfect atmosphere for each piece. Also, as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, in the style of Thom Yorke and Beck, Coxon plays almost all instruments on "…Illegal Speeds."

A main highlight on "…Illegal Speeds" is Coxon's ability to craft a song. He uses raw emotion and seems to draw on himself to perfect his music. He loves what he does and makes us love his work as well. The problem with "…Illegal Speeds" lies in the fact that it is truly hard to pick out any outstanding track on the album. All of the 13 songs are great in their own right and cannot be judged in comparison to the others. "…Illegal Speeds" is phenomenally pieced together and expertly arranged.

Even though Coxon is a brilliant singer and songwriter, "Love Travels At Illegal Speeds" can, at times, sound a little more like a remake than it should. Although this is by no means a reflection on the entire album, pieces of various songs on "…Illegal Speeds" are very similar to other more famous songs. At times, the resemblance can be uncanny. Take "Gimme Some Love." While it is one of the catchiest songs on the album, the songs orchestration sounds like a blatant rip-off of The Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the UK," just with new lyrics.

Immediately the question is raised of why Coxon couldn't be more subtle about his influences. Be that as it may, the duplicative nature of some songs do not detract greatly from the album itself, they only make it seem more amateurish than Coxon should be.

"Love Travels At Illegal Speeds," although not without flaws, is one of the best albums to be released in a while. Surprising is the fact that Coxon is relatively unknown outside of the UK while his music represents some of the best new rock out there. Whether you are a rock fan, a punk fan, or just want to try something new, go out to your local music store and pick up a copy of "…Illegal Speeds."