Album Review

The Like – Release Me

• 6th Sep 2010

The Like appear to be stuck in about 1965. Take a look at the cover of their new album ‘Release Me’. See how fab their legs look in those little shift dresses? Doesn’t Z Berg’s pixie cut look just like Twiggy’s? Isn’t it fun how they’re all barefoot like Sandy Shaw?

For once, it seems you can judge a CD by its cover. If you’re captivated by its swinging sixties stylings, if you think its fun and kinda cool, then you’ll probably listen to its contents and think much the same about the songs.

You’ll be plunged into a fast-paced, well-produced, nostalgic lollipop-girlpop trip of Motown beats, The-Doors-without-the-drugs organ, raunchy guitars and nasty-girl lyrics that makes you want to dance and/or go beat up your ex.

Those of you that liked the singles, ‘He’s Not a Boy’ and ‘Wishing He Was Dead’, won’t be disappointed. The album provides more of the same. The tunes are all pretty upbeat, and combine happily with songwriter Z Berg’s LA-chick-witty lyrics. You’ll probably relate to songs like ‘Walk of Shame’ and wish you didn’t: “In your memory you might find some holes, Oh, like the last six hours, That made you realise you’re sleeping on the floor, On someone else’s floor”.

However, if the cover leaves you a bit cold, if prefer your sixties influences to be just that – influences, and if you like your bands to sound like bands that are playing in 2010, you might want to give this a miss.