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Editor's Note: This blog was contributed by Jack Ready, friend of Zoom In Online.

Of the deluge of bands to emerge from the much-reviled east-London scene of the mid-00s, The Rakes always seemed the most likely to make something of themselves. With a combination of post-punk sounds and social commentary, derogatory comparisons with the likes of XTC and Gang of Four were never too far away, but the band were nevertheless able to produce their solid debut album Capture/Release and a string of top 40 hits (including the ubiquitous '22 Grand Job'). Unfortunately, the subsequent army of inferior copyists saw this formula fall out of fashion very, very quickly, with sophomore effort Ten New Messages failing to make any real critical or commercial impact upon its arrival in 2007. Clearly, album three was going to require something of a rethink.

And so it is that in 2009 KLANG stands as something of an anomaly. Whilst their contemporaries either 'go electro' (Bloc Party, Franz, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) or turn to the stadiums (Razorlight, The Killers) The Rakes seem to be the only people still peddling the same wares as five years ago. The problem inherent in this approach is obvious. There simply isn’t the same market for this kind of guitar music as there has been in recent years, and it continues to dwindle as time goes by. This may not prove insurmountable, but there is another issue: KLANG just isn’t as good as the band's two earlier albums.

With ten tracks weighing in at just over 29 minutes, this album is punchy in the extreme. The longest song here stands at 3:21. This only enhances the sense that the band have gone for consolidation rather than progression on this record. In terms of the overall sound, things seem just a little bit less polished than before, with the rhythm section far less prominent behind the trademark lacerating guitars and Alan Donohoe’s distinctive speaking-cum-warbling vocals. None of this is necessarily problematic in itself, but it does lead to a kind of blurring of the record as you listen. It is very one-paced, with slightly catchy riff blending into slightly less catchy riff as you progress. Listened to individually, many of the songs are actually pretty good. But as a record KLANG just lacks a certain cohesion.

However, when the songs are good, they’re excellent. Opening track 'You’re In It' is at once amusing and belligerent, with Donohoe warning that, 'Sometimes you can’t smell the shit til you’re in it' above a jagged guitar riff that is probably the catchiest on the whole album. Tellingly, it is those tunes that stray from the standard that are most impressive. 'The Woes of the Working Woman' is a stompy, piano-led affair, with defiantly masculine backing vocals calling for the listener to 'Give a girl a break' chanted like a rather confused political manifesto. The highlight of the album is undoubtedly the wonderful ‘The Light From Your Mac’, which comes closest to the sound of debut album Capture/Release, with the guitars taking a back-seat to a charmingly simple bass melody. The lyrics are, perhaps, not his best ('Your flatmate’s on her prime / And one’s got a moustache, and she talks a lot of shite') but even clangers such as this are not enough to detract from the straightforward joy of the song.

This is The Rakes' weakest offering yet, but there is still enough here to maintain the interest of long-term fans of the band. KLANG feels curiously like a stop-gap rather than a proper statement, and it does beg the question of where exactly the band can go from here. Progression is now a necessity if the band intends to live up to the potential displayed on Capture/Release.

Jack Ready is a student from Birmingham who will occasionally attempt to write something when he’s not listening to music. He doesn’t like many things, but he loves a precious few intensely: his cat, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, classic children’s television, Aston Villa FC and almost any kind of confectionary you care to name. His most treasured possession is his dressing gown, and when he grows up he wants to open a sweet shop. And also write about music, if they’ll let him do both.

For more on The Rakes, visit their website and MySpace.

Watch the videos for '22 Grand Job', 'Work Work Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)', and '1989'.

Read the BBC's review of KLANG.

The Rakes' lead singer (and self-described 'Jack Bauer for animals'), Alan Donohoe, gives an interview for PETA.

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