Artist: Hard-Fi
Album: Stars of CCTV
Label: Necessary/Atlantic
Tracks: 11
Length: 45:05
Review By: John Durkee

About a year ago I got my hands on a free music sampler put out by Atlantic Records titled Black by Popular Demand, on the record I was introduced to a number of great songs like Bloc Party’s "Banquet" and Billy Talent’s "Black Flag." I also found an English group named Hard-Fi with a really catchy danceable track called "Cash Machine" about a man with never ending money troubles that lead to leave his pregnant girlfriend. The song stuck with me and I looked up the band online, sure enough they had a release called Stars of CCTV, but it was only released in the UK at the time.

I looked forward to the band releasing it stateside, but saw nothing until recently. I did some research on the band and it appears that after self-releasing their own mini-LP, the Middlesex England band signed to Atlantic, and received the funds to make a proper release. Last year, Stars of CCTV was released in the UK and now it has been brought to this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Stars of CCTV is an eclectic blend of punk influenced nu-wave, pop and rock to make a catchy pop record.

Hard-Fi has generated comparisons to the likes of The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, The Clash, Gorillaz, Oasis, and even Radiohead and T-Rex. I don’t really see much of these comparisons to be honest, as there is very little about the band that reminds me of Gorillaz, Oasis, T-Rex or Radiohead, but for some reason the critics see something I don’t.

In any case the band does contain the danceable pop/rock sound that The Killers and Franz Ferdinand have with a more punk attitude at times that is reminiscent of The Clash (although more like "Rock the  Casbah" than their more punk releases) . The vocals sound very much like Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, and some songs have melodies similar to Daft Punk, namely the extraordinarily catchy “Hard to Beat.” The song is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard all year, as it has gotten into my head numerous times since receiving this album to review.

The CD also contains an emotional ballad titled “Move on Now,” which works well to make a great break in the frenzy of danceable tracks on the album and also shows a good amount of range for the band. Other standout tracks are the aforementioned “Cash Machine” and “Hard to Beat,” but also “Tied Up to Tight,” with it’s synthed string section, “Got a Reason,” with it’s fun vocals, “Unnecessary Trouble” for it’s horns and great backup vocals.

A lot of the strength of this record relies heavily on the vocal delivery and its strong sense of melody. While the album isn’t perfect, it is one of the most fun albums I’ve heard in a long time. Perhaps the only weakness of this album is also the same as their greatest strength: catchy melody. This is because the album can get a bit old after repeated listens, but it still maintains enough of a fresh sound to maintain its goodness.

I’d recommend this record to anyone who is really into the explosion of nu-wave bands that have a danceable feel and people just like catchy pop music.