East London 4-piece (well 5 if you count the legend that’s Dean Mumford) The Rifles, are making their long-awaited comeback. It’s been seven years since their last studio album, but this coming Friday (5th July), they are releasing their new album Love Your Neighbour, that is a serious contender for album of the year.
Here’s the ThisIsTheMusic track by track preview
The Kids Won’t Stop is a brilliant introduction to the album and gives an indication as to what’s to come. It’s an instant classic, thanks to its lyrics that reflect on how life changes as we grow old, before bursting into the frenetic, energetic and anthemic chorus that’s just waiting to be sung back. I really like the change of pace from the verses to the chorus, which really emphasises the songs theme.
The Days Of Our Lives is a nostalgic look back at happy times. It’s another rifles song that can be filled under “classic”. Guitars jangle throughout and the slide guitar takes the song off into another direction, along with the marching drum pattern that features at the 2:10 mark, just adds the nostalgic vibe of the track. The vocal harmonies are fantastic and the chorus is one that you’ll be singing along to with your arms round your mates, just knowingly remembering the same memories.
Mr Sunflower is driven by Deano’s keys and intertwined with the the other instrumentals has stompy melodic mod-y feel about it. Lyrically it’s a song about being nice and spreading love to everyone you meet “Love, love, love, love your neighbour’’.
There Is My Heart sees The Rifles move away from their indie roots and produce something that’s more poppy, it has a bit of a Blossoms vibe about it. The keys sound delightful
Out For The Weekend is bursting with energy and contains a beautiful melody that is classic Rifles. As the title suggests, it’s about nights on the town and will be relatable to many.
“Love Your Neighbour is saying we’re all in this big old mess together and it would be good to get along a bit more and enjoy it. Talk to people more, help each other out when you can, say good morning and maybe take your head away from your phone for 5 minutes and appreciate the people standing next to you. I’d like to think that the record captures life’s daily situations that we all come across, all wrapped up in 3 minute bundles that you can sing along to”.
Joel Stoker
Fall Apart shifts the mood of the album as it’s an emotive, melancholic, ballad, built around the driving keys and an infectious Beatle-y sounding guitar riff. Joel’s vocal moves effortlessly from indie bangers to this ballad. What makes the rifles so good is their knack of writing lyrics that are relatable. This track is about relationships ending, wondering what might have been and memories.
All Aboard is a real upbeat track, with plenty of energy and a message of optimism and positivity.
Money Go Round is a track packed with plenty of energy an infectious guitar riff (which has a nod towards Wings I’m coming up) and is driven by the keys. The little cash tills chiming sees the band really emphasis the lyrical content of the track,
Venus is stripped back to vocals, keys and acoustic guitar and is a tribute to all women out there “she’s sweet like a butterfly, she’s my beauty queen, for reasons unidentified she stings like a bee”.
My Life sees the guitars come back out and it’s reflective of life with a message of living life to the full: we’ve only got one shot at life, live it to the full.
Starting Monday is the album finale and is a truly memorable and masterpiece of a track. It starts off as a slow track, filled with marching drum patterns and builds and builds into a euphoric crescendo. Lyrically this is a song full of pondering about the next chapter in life and all the changes to made. It’s really upbeat and is a fitting finale.
Love Your Neighbour is a fantastic album, that is reflective, nostalgic and full of love. The band sound better than ever and have a songwriter at the top of his game. Combining that with the bands trademark anthemtic choruses, this is a record that will rank as one of the finest The Rifles have released.
ThisIsTheMusic 
Leave a comment