Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Rebus

This City

Label: Josaka Release Date: 14/05/2007

23910
benmarwood by ben marwood May 25th, 2007

Things aren’t looking so hot for Rebus. Having spent a couple of years as art-rock nearly-rans despite a couple of excellent singles – ‘Daylight Fading’ and ‘Silence’ – their drummer departed to begin again as a paid-up member of the Does It Offend You, Yeah?’s live band, and there’s little sign of anyone filling the vacant post. And now a chorus of “this time is the last time you will see me under this light”? Quite.

As such, ‘This City’ may be the last showing from the Berkshire quartet, and odds are it’ll be as critically and publicly ignored as the rest of their back catalogue despite having a lead track as strong as any to currently grace daytime Xfm. Backed by ‘Signals’, arranged almost identically to the lead track but without the catchy hook, and a smile-inducing* cover of Duran Duran's ‘Girls On Film’, ‘This City’ follows the tried and tested Rebus sound to the letter: one guitar with a sharp and punchy presence, the other effect-laden over some four to the floor drums, and off-beat hi-hats at the ready.

A mixture of Silent Alarm-era Bloc Party and early Coopers, it’s the places where the two guitars or the dual vocal lines work together which make this stand out, whether it’s the harmonies in the chorus or those of the guitar line in the breakdown. Maybe it’s good to get out before the formula got old, but if this is really goodbye, 'This City' is a good send off for a band that arguably deserved much more than they received.

*not a guarantee

  • 8
    ben marwood's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

My Sad Captains

Bad Decisions

Mobback
24358
24252

The National, Annuals at Astoria, London, Tue 22 May

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND