The Alarm � In the Poppyfields (Snapper Music)
Fresh from their amusingly successful exploits humiliating and exposing the prejudicial arrogance of the high and mighty music press with their recent Top 30 single posing as the Poppyfields, The Alarm return with a new album that seems to owe more than a little influentially to U2.
I�m proud to say that we weren�t fooled by the band�s recent spoof outing. In fact, take a look back in our archives, and you�ll see that we even said in the first paragraph something along the lines of �This sounds like The Alarm�!
I�m even more gratified to say that we showed little pomposity over this fact, and opted to give the single 9/10.
Anyway this is quite a �stadium filler� of an album, such is the grandeur of many of the tracks upon it. If you can get past the fact that the album�s opener, �Coming Home� features some guitar work that vaguely resembles Genesis� �Invisible Touch�, you will be richly rewarded by some ultra fine melodies such as the fantastically dirty sounding �Trafficking�, the warmth of �Close�, the unashamedly ballsy single you already know �45RPM� and the standout tune � the record�s finale and title track �In the Poppyfields�, full of histrionic radiance.
The Alarm are back with a bang, and you�d be foolish to ignore them this time around. 8/10
Publication::Publication:www.atomicd
Author::Tone E
