(self-release, 2011)‘Gasoline’ starts Optimists promisingly with frenzied drumming and a sleek, subtly driving bassline reminiscent of Interpol. Singer Michael Weatherburn turns in a strong vocal performance and his voice is now immersed into the mix where it had previously been too prominent. Conversely, the most interesting element of ‘Poor Me, Poor You’ – the lead guitar part – is buried too deeply into the mix and the song fails to put enough emphasis on any particular section. ‘Extremadura’ is similar; there are interesting things going on here – we enjoy the Joey Santiago-esque guitar bends – but the song ends kind of abruptly. ‘How The West Was Won’ and ‘Gasoline’ show that The Half Rabbits can write a chorus but they continue to be a bit of a frustrating band and we wish Weatherburn would drop the mannered vocal style and let loose with the rest of the band from time to time.
[Originally printed in Oxfordshire Music Scene magazine, issue 13, April 2011]
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