The Rakehells: Please Yourself or the Devil in the Flesh

The Rakehells: Please Yourself or the Devil in the Flesh
The Rakehells have been toiling in the New York City club scene for the past half-decade. They have gained a strong local following with their irrepressible swagger and poppy hooks. Now they release their debut album, Please Yourself or the Devil in the Flesh.
There is something oddly familiar about the Rakehells. Their sound reminds me of the dirty garage punk of bands like New Bomb Turks but the vocals sound like a combination of Louis XIV with Dwarves. The result is a sound that is brash and cocky but not necessarily something innovative or new.
The album’s lead single “Lost Weekend” starts with a slow picked bass line similar to Green Day‘s “Longview” but quickly thrashing guitars enter giving the song almost a hard rock feel. The doubling of vocals give them a mid-90s alternative effect which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on your preference. The track does not have the strongest hook on the album, but it is catchy enough. Overall, I would not call it the smartest lead single but it does well-represent the album.
Please Yourself or the Devil in the Flesh constantly feels like it is on the border of being great. Often the tracks feel like they are one chord change away from being a perfect pop song but the band just never quite puts it together. The result is an album that is both disappointing but leaves you wanting more. It is an odd feeling. When I finished listening to the album for the first time, I wanted to listen to it again just to see if I missed the amazing hooks but sadly I did not.
Rating: 6.3/10
MP3: The Rakehells “Lost Weekend”
Buy: iTunes