I'm not a Lostprophets fan by any stretch of the imagination, so it really grinds my gears when I hear 'Last Summer' and am unable to stop singing or dancing like a prat.
I feel that the same might be true of new single 'Rooftops' too.
From the very start of the intro, it's apparent that this is going to have exactly the same pace and structure of 'Last Summer' - starting with the band coming in one instrument at a time, a vaguely chilled out verse then kicking in at the chorus - albeit with slightly more condescending lyrics and a bit of a breakdown where the guitar solo was. For a band who've leaped from nu-metal to a bad hair infused indie/emo mish mash image-wise, their music has changed very little, except to become ten times more repetitive. In what must be an attempt to create something easily singable, the chorus is merely 2 lines repeated 4 times, with a slight change in the final one.
There's a worry that Ian Watkins has succumbed to 'Tom Delonge disease', a tragic illness that makes the victim feel they can change the world (full single title is 'Rooftops: A Liberation Transmission') through preachy lyrics and a swift image change - he now looks like a gay Motley Crue member. Yet even Delonge has moved on musically, whereas Lostprophets are clearly unwilling to let go of a formula that's put them where they are today. That's all well and good, until the kids become bored of it - then no amount of clothing and hair changes will save them.
Like a middleaged woman going through the change, however, I seem incapable of being rational when i hear the song. I know it's unoriginal and up it's own arse with a title ripped off from Refused, but I'm still wailing along to it and can't help but appreciate how well they play. I'm still skipping the lacklustre b-sides to listen to it again, and will no doubt dance my ass off when i hear it in a club. God, I hate them. For more information you can visit: http://www.lostprophets.com
