If you've got a taste for messianic flag-waving, EUPHORIC can pack an intermittent, fleeting buzz, but they're ultimately harshed by Glasvegas' soggy musicianship: Frothy with echo, guitars well and crest, synthesizers ooze gelatin, and the rhythm section doesn't make any sudden movements. The resulting sound forfeits empathy and intimacy and makes the listener feel like just another chump in the cheap seats. Glasvegas started out applying principles of Spector's Wall of Sound, but on EUPHORIC, they mostly do away with the pop and fill the void with bombast. The title alone promises a thrill ride spanning the poles of human emotion, rendered in all caps as if to say, "your feelings must be this tall to ride." Problem is, that sort of heavy-handedness is indicative of their operation in all other aspects, and with every second attempting to be the most cathartic, EUPHORIC simply numbs you with 50 minutes of novocaine for the soul. Their skyscraping, Rich Costey-produced debut from 2008 was proof enough of that, and now their second album, EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\, removes all doubts as to whether they'd ever look back. At its most immediate, like on the standout tracks “Shine Like Stars,” the Disintegration-era Cure-inspired “Whatever Hurts You Through the Night,” and the soaring title cut, the latter of which would sit snugly amidst the teenage ruin of a John Hughes prom scene, the band sounds ready for battle, but too much time is spent slogging through the swamps of defeat, many of which are adorned with forgettable choruses and melodies that arrive at dead ends, only to bash themselves against the wall hoping for some kind of merciful respite.There was a brief period of time where Glasvegas were technically an indie band, releasing scrappy little 7" singles and getting praise for their demos, but they never had much interest in acting or sounding like one. Like their Welsh counterparts, the Joy Formidable, Glasvegas have their sights set clearly on the upper bowl of the stadium, but where TJF manage to fill that space with an unholy, hook-filled racket, Glasvegas tend to let the moment fizzle.
Written, demoed, and tracked at a beach house in Santa Monica, California before undergoing final production under the direction of producer Flood in London, Euphoric Heartbreak keeps the fire burning, but feeds it only the wispiest of kindling. Glasvegas' winning but not-so-subtle amalgamation of U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division, late-period Depeche Mode, and the Jesus and Mary Chain hinted at a band that was ready to make a go of it, and their simple, earnest lyrics, as filtered through the thick yet sweet brogue of frontman James Allan, had listeners swooning, despite all of the band's sonic redundancies.
Scottish alt-rockers Glasvegas' 2008 debut landed the brooding Glaswegians a Mercury Prize nomination.
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