Album Review: Mcfly Above the Noise

Yes, Mcfly are back! After a two year hiatus the band are yet again claiming that this album is the “album they’ve always wanted to make” The same thing they said about Motion in the Ocean, (and we all know what a disappointment that was) but this time they reassure us that they really mean it.

A lot’s been happening in those two years, they split with their record label, they went to Australia and wrote a few tracks which were all subsequently scraped, they got back with their record label, they went to gym and/or drunk a hell of a lot of protein shakes (Tickets to the gun show any one?) and it certainly appears as if they’ve hired some sort of stylist who knows that guns equal money in this fickle industry. (Naked photoshoot? Yeah why not)

And now they’re back!

Lots of words have been thrown about in describing this album- Twilight inspired- the video and mini movie for the first single Party Girl definitely had a vampire theme running through it and has set the tone for their artwork. Mcfly/ Mcfly’s record company certainly aren’t stupid; girls are going mental for vampires at the moment, and it’s a clever, if a bit unoriginal, bandwagon to jump on.

Rock-opera is also a phrase which has cropped up a few times, no doubt a result of the opening track End of the World which takes influence from War of the Worlds and throws in elements of theatrical drama which are later confirmed by Nowhere Left to Run.

In terms of the music itself, it’s good. It’s actually very good. But it’s hard to know whether it’s the 21 year old me saying that or the 16 year old me. But with the help of producer Dallas Austin (who has an impressive roster of clients including Madonna, Pink, Michael Jackson) and only a few naff songs, the majority is very listenable.

With I Need A Woman, a country inspired rock ballad and If U C Kate (Yes, when you say it it sounds like a rudey, we’ve seen both the Script and Britney Spears do exactly the same thing) but forget the crass title and for me it’s the standout track of the album, there’s no doubting that these boys are good at what they do.

Will this album turn Mcfly into credible artists, something I get the impression they’ve craved to be from the start, probably not, but will it boost their presence in the teen pop category after an extended gap? Yes, most definitely. A hollow victory, but one I’m certainly enjoying.