Johnny Foreigner- You Can Do Better Review

Muppet Babies, as I'm sure you recall, was a cartoon which reimagined Kermit, Gonzo and friends in their infancy. Not a far stretch for the imagination, and that was why the show worked. Equally, it's not a far stretch to imagine Johnny Foreigner as children. Aged five, they'd have been the kids at the party who were gleefully commandeering the boxes that the birthday boy's gifts came in, carefully laying it out on the stairs, and throwing themselves down headfirst.

The largest part of the band's output so far has lived by the same ethos. Fast, fun and with a small risk of broken bones. You Could Do Better is no exception. Lets get this straight now, there's nothing new to the Johnny Formula that's going to convert those who aren't fans, and there's nothing to alienate those already in the gang. The catchy guitar riff which gives way to frontman Alexei Berrow's slightly fragile Stephen Fry does Stephen Malkmus followed up by the shouting duel with bassist Kelly Southern are all present within the first sixty seconds of opener Shipping. The similarities to their past work do stretch a little far sometimes. There's parts of recent single Stop Talking About Ghosts that I thought actually were 2008 single Eyes Wide Terrified.

However, there's something here I've never spotted in a Johnny Foreigner record before, perhaps a little cynicysm sneaking in? Is big city life and the grind of the independent music industry starting to wear on the band? In Capitals seems to suggest so. "Everyone's hiding something" and "Back in the real world" muses Alexei, before warning us "there is no hidden door at Leinster Gardens, there is no London below." It's a stark warning that despite the rumours of streets paved with gold and dreams being made in the city, that really there's nowhere to hide.

In Capitals is quickly followed by the records stand out track. Actually, scratch that, Johnny Foreigner's stand out track. Riff Glitchard, a title which perhaps gives a nod to Biffy Clyro, goes beyond anything that band have produced in the way of subtleties. The track builds and builds around a Kelly vocal, with a rhythmic pattern akin to something from American Football's classic self titled record. The last thirty seconds of the track move back into the standard style, and it is slightly dissapointing. However, the tracks slow crescendo shows that there is more to the band than 2 minutes and thirty seconds of pop-punk.

You Can Do Better is the best Johnny Foreigner record since 2008 debut Waited Up 'til It Was Light. That record introduced the formula, this one perfects it. If you like the band there's nothing to dissapoint over the records ten tracks. That number in itself shows for the first time there's been some much needed self editing in place; the second and third records slightly overstayed their welcome at 15 and 17 tracks long. There may be hints of a different, darker, more thoughtful future, both lyrically and musically , but the thing that drew so many to the band in the first place, the risk of the broken bones, is still there in abundance. What's the point of growing up when you're having so much fun throwing yourselves down the stairs?