THE PIGEON DETECTIVES Emergency (2008 UK 13-track CD album - Produced by Stephen Street Blur Babyshambles Kaiser Chiefs Emergency sees the band take on a more grown up and polished sound without breaking away too much from the tunes that made them the biggest selling debut act on an independent label in 2007 includes the single This Is An Emergency) . When history looks back on The Pigeon Detectives, will they be seen as anything more significant than a These Animal Men or Shed Seven to Kaiser Chiefs' Blur Their debut album,Wait for Me, achieved remarkable success in the bizarre, never-ending post-Libertines vacuum with a string of undoubtedly infectious and direct bouts of rabble-raising indie-fuzz. But lining up alongside The Wombats, The View, The Enemy, Dirty Pretty Things, The Courteeners et al, minions chipping away at the same rock-face, there are gemsoccasionally, of course there are--but there's also an inevitable mountain of sediment. And herein lies the problem for their typically difficult second albumEmergency. While their approach may have matured a little, with "This Is an Emergency" bouncing on the Franz Ferdinand springboard and "Keep Oo Your Dress" having a bit of an Idlewild complexion rather than just plundering and shouting overUp the Bracket, the album has trouble lifting its head much above the parapet. "She's Gone", which has as much in common with Green Day's buffed punk-pop as contemporary UK strands, and the mid-pace Kaisers-esque "Love You for a Day (Hate You for a Week)" are perfectly affable, serviceable Britpop, but the sirens are not blaring this time. There are scattered fires, but they'll probably burn out on their own. No need to call 999.--James Berry Review Pigeon Detectives return with their second album, two days to the year since the release of debut long-player Wait For Me, and they've tackled the difficult second album syndrome by refining the 'Topman indie' formula of its predecessor. Emergency is an album of simple, tightly executed floor-fillers that would sound samey if they weren't so darned catchy. Don't expect any experimental meanders if you set aside lofty assertions you'll appreciate the instant appeal of these punchy tracks which will surely find their way into indie discos everywhere. The whole album seems like a fond soundtrack to a night of cheap lager and sticky dancefloors.Just when you fear the material is becoming too repetitive, three of the best tracks pop up in succession. I'm A Liar, You Don't Need It and Say It Like You Mean It are stomping blasts, echoing 60s girl groups like the Shangri-Las. However, the disposable hooks become tiring by track 11, and the band could have slimmed the album down to create back-to-back singalong tunes. First offender worth removing is token slow song, Nothing to Do With You, a more forgettable version of the Maccabees' Toothpaste Kisses.The Pigeons aren't going to win any awards for their lyrics, and most of the unimaginative track titles are lines from the choruses. This may seem a strange bugbear, but with songs like Love You For A Day (Hate You For A Week) you just wish they'd picked something less obvious.As today's pop scene is saturated with indie schmindie bands it would be easy to slate this album for its lack of originality, but Emergency deserves praise for delivering a consistently high standard of accessible guitar pop. One hit wonders this band ain't. --Jenny Nelson This link will take you off in a new window
