Stereophonics - Keep The Village Alive

Stereophonics

Keep the Village Alive

2015

There is something to be said for great guitar rock that moves you. Stereophonics have been doing it for almost two decades now and are approaching almost an iconic level. Keep the Village Alive really is no different. It follows the same pattern of a few great rock anthems, a couple ballads then sprinkle in a couple tracks meant to remind you of home however it never comes across as formulaic. Stereophonics doesn't do this kind of music because they want to please the masses, they make it because it what makes sense to them, it is what lies deep in their hearts. The emotional core of these songs come across from even a cursory listen. This album is what we always wanted from The Killers but never got. However don't expect to be surprised with something new, this is what Stereophonics does and they are not going to deviate from that path.

Therein is the main problem with this album, we've heard it before. Bruce Springsteen has made this record and made it better. This is the type of music Stereophonics can tour for a thousand years and the people will come in droves, but it is not reinventing anything no pushing any kind of boundaries artistically. The music is straight forward  and so is the song writing so it all begins to blend into one thing making it hard to distinguish one track from the next. None of them jump out and grab you or make you want to listen again, it just kind of is what it is. This doesn't mean Keep the Village Alive is in anyway a bad album it is just not particularly great. So there this record sits, squarely in the middle of the road.

6 out of 10