Johnny Borrell seemed like ideal cannon fodder when Razorlight first blazed a trail across the UK over a year ago. Here he was, this lippy upstart and former Libertine, who made ridiculous pronounciations about how his debut album would eclipse Dylan and how he'd obliterate the opposition. Here we go, we thought, grinning maniacally, and rubbing our hands in glee as we prepared to rip him to critical shreds.
Trouble was, though, when the boys looked at Johnny, he spewed back some of the most searingly vital rock'n'roll around when it came time for Razorlight to unleash their superb debut album "Up All Night" last summer. Humble pie's a dish served cold for us critics, but it was one many were forced to feed upon as Johnny 'The Mouth' Borrell and his chums ran riot in the polls, the charts and basically got everything their own way on the back of the album.
And I must continue to reveal that anyone still labouring under the misapprehension Razorlight will stumble at the next hurdle after their lap of honour Ally Pally gigs is in for short shrift too, because album-bridging new single "Somewhere Else" is the sound of Razorlight upping the ante once again.
Yes, it's already becoming omnipresent as you're reading this, but "Somewhere Else" positively sweats ambition and drips with grandeur. It's got strings, mellotron and a tumbling, cathedral-sized piano part driving it on, and features yet more of Borrell's memorable, yet hopelessly romantic lyrical observations, such as "I was catching the sparks that flew from your heels, just trying to catch you eye." Swoon. That's m'boy! Hey, quick, duck: I think that's the kitchen sink arc-ing gracefully towards the control room!
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So yeah, "Somewhere Else" is overblown, but - crucially - it's also stunning, Spectoresque stuff and yet another impressive jab in the eye for the detractors. The obvious comparison is with Oasis's "Whatever", but - as always - for all the epic ambition, there's something rather more quirky and idiosyncratic about Borrell's songwriting that in itself makes it stand apart. Overall, it's the sound of Razorlight raising the bar for themselves and that second album, but recent history demonstrates we shouldn't doubt they'll be equal to the challenge.
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