Four years ago in July, The Enemy were number one with their debut album 'We'll Live And Die in These Towns' and the new darlings of the musical press. Yet we all know how fickle the media can be when it comes to bands and artists. These days The Enemy struggle to even get a mention in the NME, but to be fair - the lads had been on a well earned break after touring almost constantly since the start of 2007.
The recent secret gig in Leamington Spa has thus far remained a secret from the wider world, perhaps indicating the uphill battle facing The Enemy prior to the release of their third album. Indie bands have but vanished into the haze as R&B dominate the UK charts, making a return to the music scene even more harder for The Enemy. The worst possible scenario for The Enemy would be to release a brilliant album that goes almost unnoticed by the masses.
Fans know that Tom Clarke, Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts can put on a fast paced live performance - those who were lucky enough to be at the Adidas secret gig also know the new album sounds very promising. The Enemy have grown up and moved on from 'Music For The People', the new tunes are a welcome return to form. They actually sound like The Enemy again, instead of a rather over inflated egotistical rock band! Gone are the long guitar rifts and the need to sound like other bands, thankfully we have catchy, uptempo tunes that will have you tapping your feet within seconds.
Tom Clarke has always written songs ahead of his age, as a teenager he was writing gritty lyrics about life in Coventry and the trappings of working life - not your average teenager! Now in his early twenties, Tom seems to have found a happy medium lyrically. The new tunes will have lads and lasses singing out loud to 'Come Into My World' and 'This Is Real', while 'Like A Dancer' not only has a beat that totally belongs to The Enemy - the lyrics tell a simple story. No wonder 'there's a twinkle in her little eye' , The Enemy have the potential for some chart success.
Much will depend on how the record label promote The Enemy's new album, fans will be hoping it is a damn sight better than how they promoted 'Music For The People'. The shift from being close to their fans (album #1) to becoming a corporate product (album #2) was a painful journey, maybe we can arrive at a compromise (album #3) where The Enemy do what they do best and also keep fans up to date, while fans realise the band have moved beyond the borders of Coventry. It would be sad if the third album became one of those great sounding albums that never gets appreciated. The Enemy are back with new songs that (if marketed correctly) could see Tom Clarke, Andy Hopkins and Liam Watts back at the top of the UK charts.
Written by: robmacca
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* OFFICIAL Enemy website: http://theenemy.com