Album Review: Hard-Fi - Once Upon a Time in the West (4.5 / 5)

My definition of a really good album goes something like this: At first listen a few tracks stand out as instantly likable. Upon repeat listens, the appeal of other tracks emerges, while the first favorites don't wear out their welcome. You can see yourself listening to this for years to come.

That's what we have with Hard-Fi's second album, Once Upon a Time in the West, a confident, sweeping second album from the English band who debuted 2 years ago with the impressive Stars of CCTV. In a year packed with second albums from British groups--Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Editors--it's the best of the bunch, surpassing the band's first disc.

"Suburban Knights" opens with its best foot forward. It's upbeat, loud, brash, fun, marked by sharp electric guitar, a strong chorus (backed by a choir of "hey hey hey, oh oh oh, ah ah ah"), electronic keyboards, and even some strings to punch up the end. It even touches on suburban apathy toward the war on terror.

"I Shall Overcome" is also bold, but different, with alternating passes from electric and acoustic guitars. The strings and choir show up here too, but are used differently to underscore the chorus, vaguely sounding like a rock version of a dark disco track. Other songs embody a dance aesthetic too, like "Television," which I could almost imagine being a Pet Shop Boys track with a different arrangement. Piano and keyboards open this, and sound like their headed toward a clubby track, but then the song takes a punky pop/rock turn into its chorus.

"Tonight" is the second obvious highlight. It's a bold rock ballad, with big chorus, piano, strings. I like though, that it retains an electronic sheen pervasive through most of the album. Even the drum line sounds more like something from an electronic album than a rock album, which sets this apart from something that say Embrace or Coldplay would do. It seems like an obvious choice for third single.

The album shows remarkable musical diversity. The dark, string-laden "Watch Me Fall Apart" reminds me of early '90s Depeche Mode. Cheeky "I Close My Eyes" is a cacophony of percussive noise interlaced with insistent electric guitar and harmonic choruses. The lyrics long for escape from life's annoyances ("the boss is on my back"..."the phone keeps ringing"), but taunt the singer too with some "nyah nyah nyah."

Depression ballad "Help Me Please" tones down the exuberance of the previous tracks, but this is short-lived. The slight reggae and disco touches of slated second single "Can't Get Along (Without You)" reminds me of Smash Mouth. Following down-trodden "Help Me Please," it oozes joyous celebratory energy. Then there's "We Need Love," which pulses with a prominent electronic bass reminiscent of Goldfrapp's last album. My hometown gets a mention, along with New York, Glasgow, Liverpool, San Salvador, and London.

"Little Angel" is much brasher than its title would imply; another good sing-along number (if you know the lyrics). Final track "The King" is yet another winner. Darker and brooding ("With you I was The King, But now my story's done"), but lovely and melodic too. A bonus acoustic version of "Tonight" demonstrates that even without its heavy production, the song still holds up.

Not a bad track in the bunch, and quite a few really good ones. Once Upon a Time in the West is a very good sign that Hard-Fi will be around for awhile. I'd give this a "5," except for the fact that I'm not quite convinced it has "classic" potential. I therefore reserve the right to amend my rating.

Best: Suburban Knights, Tonight, I Shall Overcome, Can't Get Along (Without You), The King, Television, Little Angel, I Close My Eyes, We Need Love, Watch Me Fall Apart.