Is This the End…of An Era?

Seeing the departure of long-time bassist Matt Safer, The Rapture and their brand of East Coast dance-punk have overcome the trends and tastes of the ever-changing electro community. More and more teens are getting hold of synths, learning how to drop a steady four-on-the-floor and starting bands heavier and louder than Luke Jenner. With the predicted end of the world failing miserably in 2011, how did the guys who bear its namesake hold up? Whether they did or didn’t, In the Grace of Your Love isn’t necessarily something to dismiss.

Riddled with song titles reminiscent of older groups, In the Grace of Your Love is a departure of the sharp-stroked guitar chords, bouncy basslines and shouty vocals of Echoes. Songs like “Sail Away” and “How Deep Is Your Love?” are tributes to the softer, Travolta-era hits of late ’70s dance culture. “Children” upholds the sentiments of the current youth revolution. This is the point in the record where you ask: “Have these guys lost their edge?” Even if they have, this track just seems utterly uninspired, not unlike a recent Weezer album. In fact, it sounds like it was written by Rivers himself.

Not every band with a raw, punk past is expected to kick down doors holding megaphones in their 30s, but some might wish The Rapture retained some of that energy and urgency. It doesn’t mean In the Grace of Your Love isn’t worth a listen. It just means early fans will have to stick with Death From Above 1979.