Noise Control - Cities Of Dreams / Mudbath Single Review (2008)

A review for AltSounds.

Fusing guitar rock and electronic dance music is nothing new. Musicians have been trying to get away with it for years. The latest band to try this is Irish five-piece Noise Control, the name immediately setting it up for a fall with the inevitable question: There is noise but is there control? The debut double A-side single (this term no longer makes sense in the age of the CD but we get the idea) of 'Cities of Dreams' and 'Mudbath', packaged with three other songs making it more of an EP, is a good introduction to the band who sound like Kasabian meets Senser as remixed by Orbital.

What is strange about 'Cities of Dreams / Mudbath' is that the two lead songs are the weakest. The music on 'Cities Of Dreams' is great in contrast to Mark Kid's awkward vocal delivery. The song becomes a vacuous attempt to stir things up rather than make a statement. Only when the guitars kick in do we get the full force. The hapless lyrics let things down enormously. The festival experience inspired 'Mudbath' is even worse, going nowhere from Kid's opening gambit: "Do you wanna get dirty? I wanna get dirty too". It is all incredibly sleazy and embarrassing. But the music is a wonderful blend of guitars, bass, electronics and sample scratching.

Of the rest, 'Our Life' is excellent, mixing electronica and classical strings, and at last some controlled rapping from Kid. This time the lyrics are simple and to the point, like a watered down Rage Against The Machine. The message is anti-capitalism: "Some people, they are living in pity, with their conscience they can conquer the city". Kid goes on to declare: "People are dying on the streets" and "Some people, they are living in pain; Some people, they are living in greed". It may seem obvious and old-fashioned but it works and everyone's hearts are in the right place. 'Addiction' is a short guitar blast - a furious mix of rock and rap after a grunge start. Kid sums up the anti-drug message: "Why can't he just walk the straight line?". Simple yes, but effective. Final song 'Steel' is a massive fusion of everything, a great sound let down again by some more dodgy vocals. This sounds like a remixed older song.

Whether Noise Control with survive in the current musical world is a matter of debate - and time will tell. The band desperately needs to improve the lyrics from Kid and play to the strengths of the music. On the first listen to 'Mudbath' you can't help thinking the band should just sack the singer and find someone else - a drastic overreaction given that Noise Control has such promise. By all accounts the band is a fantastic live experience and something that needs to translate to the recording studio.

-- CS (for AltSounds)