Fortune Drive have, apparently, amassed the kind of critical support reserved for a band that sound a lot more accomplished than they actually do. Plaudits seem to shower them with the kind of untouchable glow that places them under that dubious 'next big hope for rock' banner, and dullard-induced praise not heard since, ooh, the last Rooster record surrounds this band like the cling of pissy trousers to a tramp's leg. On the strength of 'Sparkle', even such low esteem seems utterly unfounded.
Dumb, unsophisticated chord progressions chonk about like adolescent gorillas, seemingly unaware of how leaden they truly are. Not that rock music should necessarily adhere to notions of innovation and complexity, but if you're going to do the silly-fun aesthetic then you need a little more going on than thinly-veiled drug references and cod-blues warbling-cum-shrieking. Who do they think they are, Reef or something? There's little on display here to separate Fortune Drive from a terrifying middle ground between Guns 'n' Roses and Lostprophets. That's reason enough to stop making records, surely?
the singer
has a fantastic voice, such a shame that the background is so uninspiring.
i was
in the video to this song. I'm the perv in the toilet taking photos of all the girls and getting beaten up by the bouncer.
the song was played repeatedly at the shoot. Awful.
dear television_riot
Fortune Drive are the kind of guys that completely respect, if personally disagree with, all opinions about their music. Reviews are a way of people voicing those opinions, to which all are entitled, freely. However when making their videos they invited people to take part. You were not paid to be in the video, you chose to be there - listening to their 'awful' single on repeat was something you chose to take part in. we kindly ask that if you don't like a bands music don't get involved with the promotion of that music only to publicly disrepute what others may believe to be a great song. thank you.
here we go..
my friend.
you seem to of misunderstood me. I was not knocking the music. I was knocking the fact that i had to hear the same song over and over again. I don't mind their music, ok so its not brilliant and it certainly isn't original but like the post above i think the singer has a incredibly soulful voice and i think its ashame that this record doesn't show it at his full potential. I wasn't at the video shoot to promote the band or anything like that, i hadn't even heard of them before i arrived. I went purely for my own benefit and curiosity, i'm currently training as an actor and took the opportunity to take part in a video shoot as i thought it would be something that i haven't already done and would be nice to have the experience. I'm thankful to the band for giving me the opportunity. However, if i find hearing the same song, which i don't particularly like that much repeated over and over again, surely theres nothing wrong with me expressing that.
and besides why do you care so much anyway, just because they got a shit review....
and also...
i think the video turned out great, Lee Lennox did a great job!...x
Dear Daniel
Well may I say what an interesting review. Notable in its lack on any constructive criticism and I particularly like the word chonk... it suits your reviewing style. An over emotional ego feeding cry into your sad little beard. It's not my type of music but you obviously have some kind of vendetta.... did the drummer sleep with your sister? To compare to Rooster is laughable and as far as Guns and Roses?! Do you even listen to music? Perhaps the sound is a bit muffled being so shoved up your own arse! There's little else to say about this review surely that's reason to stop your "creative" writing.
nah
that's a fair review. Haven't you heard the song...?
nah
that's a fair review. Haven't you heard the song...?
Fair?
Yeah and fair means balanced. Of course its personal opinion but I don't like the way its written and I don't agree with either of you.
Fair and balanced...
...means not just signing up to make a comment on one article rather than contributing generally.
Just thought I'd throw that in. This band are from my home town and... oh, I've said enough.
Dear Sophism
I'd like to argue that this actually is a rather constructive review. If you have a look, you'll see I've referenced a few musical and lyrical elements that are, to my mind, below par and detailed exactly how they are so.
I don't compare the band to Rooster, merely the level and style of hype they've been afforded by the popular press. Comparing Fortune Drive to Guns 'n' Roses seems fair to me, the basic tenets of their sound are similar, as are their glamorising ideological stances.
I do listen to music. I listen to it and write about it. It's a great deal of fun. I can hear fine, thanks. My head has never been anywhere near my own arse, let alone fully inserted in it. I'm not very flexible, you see.
And finally, if my writing wasn't "creative", then we'd have no reason to engage in intelligent discourse, now would we?
since when...
have fortune drive done the 'silly-fun aesthetic'?? have you HEARD To The Rye? mate, you should see them live, you're sadly misinformed.
this song is so
without anything worthwhile...
Not even bad !
You are a
Goat Blower
A little heated here!
Calm down people.
I don't think this is a very good review. The GNR comparison is mis-informed and obviously Daniel is not a musician regardless of whether he is a music lover.
But lets face it - a bad review from DIS is hardly gonna kill their career when the target audience wouldn't give a fook about DIS.
Mainstream press love them, radio are playing them and TV stations are playing the video. That is what matters.
I personally think that the band have written a great song here. The chord progressions, hook, and clever phrasing of the vocal melody make it an instant singalong hit. Good songwriting.
Bobby Anderson's voice will never be as good on CD as it is live because the passion and soulfulness is something you need to 'experience'.
Good luck to them. There will be many bad reviews along the way. There will be far more good ones.
i don't mean to be cheeky, Mr. Riot, but...
... i'm currently doing finals for a music degree. specialising in pop. so i am a musician. what seems to be clever songwriting is, i would argue, rather well-worn and obvious. there's a lot of room for improvement.
well
you'll be lucky to get a 2:2 if you can't see the advantages of writing an 'obvious' singalong chorus........? That's clever in my book. The vocal melody is so much better than a lot of the tosh I hear from bands that are trying to be 'clever'.
And of all the silly comparisons I have read on this site, your GNR one is the worst I've seen.
being 'obvious'
is kind of boring, isn't it? wouldn't you rather hear something you haven't heard before?
and no, it's not a silly comparison. aesthetically it's not a massive departure, and ideologically i'd say it's pretty much a neighbour. all swagger.
Mr. Moribund below has got the right idea.
What is all this bollocks
about soulfulness? It's just really dull, uninspriring pub rock. A bit like Jet.
Also quite funny to see all the people signing up just to comment. It's a bit like when RHCP get a bad review on here.
well
it seems you are another person from Bristol who hasn't bothered to check them out live because you have a pre-conceived idea abou them.
Go and watch them play a gig and you will see where the 'soulfulness' comments come from.
I've seen them
numerous times.
why
see them numerous times if you don't like 'em?
Despite any dislike of their music, I fail to see how anyone could say Bobby's voice isn't one of the best new voices in rock. So much power, soul and emotion.
They've been supporting other bands I've seen
I got dragged along with friends who know them etc.
I find his voice to be devoid of any emotion or soul whatsoever.
Yes
I keep turning up to gigs and bam! Fortune Drive supporting again. Eagles of Death Metal, Idlewild, Young Knives etc. etc. etc. Perhaps they should change their name to "Plus Support"...
Durrrr!
Thats because they're invited to tour with them... there's no great mystery!
They did a whole month with The Young Knives, a week with Idlewild and stepped in at the last minute to play the Anson Rooms because the support pulled out.
The Eagle's then gave them more dates on the tour such as Portsmouth. You may be an idiot but at least you've got a sense of humour hey?
i saw this lot supporting Long Winters
their live set is OK, all told, much better than the recordings, which really lack something. maybe not as bad as 2/10, maybe more a 4/10, but its still.. just.. a bit uninteresting. slightly pedestrian.
yeah...maybe
I'm not sure about all this fair/objective stuff but i just think the review is bollocks. Go to see them live, listen to their other tracks, anyone with an ear for music can tell they're far from unoriginal or boring.
Probably best he doesn't review again, I expect reviewers to have a decent grasp of English "chonk". Use some more constructive phrasing and people might give a shit.
Long Live FD
P.S Go to see them and in front of their fans afetr a gig. Try and stand outside and stand by your review as they rip you to shreads.
Brilliant
you're right.
"Probably best he doesn't review again, I expect reviewers to have a decent grasp of English "chonk". Use some more constructive phrasing and people might give a shit."
You got me.
DiS powers that be, I QUIT. I'll clear my desk by this afternoon, forward my mail for me would you?
oh no, hang on, there's a new Jet record here for me to review! i take it all back!
hmm
Yes, I agree, I think you should be palmed off and just deal with Jet reviews, you need to study harder for your degree it seems.
well that's not quite the issue...
... but my degree's going fine, ta.
the issue remains fixated on Fortune Drive. They're just not very exciting, are they? Say what you like about the live show (it might be amazing, i've never seen it), their records are devoid of invention and lacking in prowess in conventional pop methods to gain valorisation through other means.
when the doors of both innovation and established musical expression are fruitless to a band, they get marks like 2/10.
Don't listen
to all this rubbish about seeing them live. They are as dull. Just louder and harder to ignore. But I wouldn't go anyway Daniel, their fans will rip you to shreds!
They seem to just be another band that has a bunch of fans that take every criticism of the band as some personal insult and have no ability to argue objectively - hence the number of people on here with posts only defending the band/attacking the reviewer.
And the music also just screams of safe, marketable 'rock' music for people who buy five albums a years and claim 'they can't live without music'.
yes
Yeah i admit, maybe i went overboard, I just can't disagree more about the band.
However, I do love a bit of music snobbery from Moridbund there. I'm sure you buy at least six albums nd year and genuinely can't live without music. You're a proper music fan, other's shouldn't be able to enjoy music at all.
lol
i'm sure this doesn't really come down to how much music you buy, just like how a single review doesn't come to how good/bad a live show is, or whether your opinion is any more valid if you have a degree in music.
seriously, even their biggest die-hard fans have been heard to comment that this song isn't their best - yeah, some of them can even be found in the video - so it's no surprise that reviewers don't like it. i'm sorry but Sparkle just isn't that interesting to that many people.
yeah
i'd say the guy above made a fair summary.
I feel the need
to step in and leave my tuppence worth. Personally, I think Fortune Drive are a rather good band. They may not be alternative enough for the "real music lovers" on DiS. Fine they may be mainstream, but guys, it's called the music business...record labels look to make profits on their investments, and therefore being 'mainstream' is in their favour. Now, I too have seen the band numerous times, and always find it a fun experience. Live, Bobby Anderson has the type of voice that a whole load of singers would aspire to, rich, full and powerful. That cannot be denied, and any attempt to do so is just ill informed and very pedantic. Fine you don't like the song, or the band. You are after all entitled to your own opinion, as are the people who sign up for one post to defend a band they love. Anyway, I love the band, love their songs, I can say, objectively, without undue prejudice or the need to feel big and clever by trying to assassinate the band, that I feel that 'Sparkle' is not the best they can offer. It's a good enough song, but I know they have better songs to offer. However I don't think 'Sparkle' warrants a 2/10, I'd probably go 5 or 6. Anyway, enjoy your opinions, let others enjoy theirs. Daniel, I'm sorry to say the review deserved 2/10, not for content, but generally because there was nothing at all helpful or constructive. Your opinions are valid, but, dude, try to get your point across, and qualify your statements! It's a simple rule of creative writing.