Eternity turns old quick

The U.K. trio sounds like a second-rate mixture of The Vines and Oasis.

By Walton Murphy

Published Feb. 14, 2006

I've spent about a week trying to decipher what it is about The Subways' debut, Young For Eternity, that makes me detest it. It could be the carefully conservative songwriting, which leaves no room for exploration. Or it might be that a dozen of these damn garage bands sound so identical it's nearly impossible to decipher one from the next. Is this The Vines, The Libertines or The Subways? God only knows.

The Subways were formed in Welwyn, England, in 2002. Composed of Billy Lunn (guitar/vocals), Charlotte Cooper (bass/vocals) and Josh Morgan (drums), the trio is noticeably influenced by Nirvana and Oasis. In 2005, The Subways found their break when they made a guest appearance on the hit TV show "The O.C." They also grabbed a spot on the hip compilation Music from The O.C.: Mix 5.

On "Rock & Roll Queen," found on both Young For Eternity and The O.C.: Mix 5, The Subways demonstrate their capacity for molding mindless power-chord rock anthems. This radio-friendly number contains a mildly catchy riff, and it drives more on energy than melody. Yet the aggressiveness doesn't feel authentic, which quickly makes the tune repetitive and dull.

Songs such as "Holiday," "City Pavement" and "Young For Eternity" all share this faux-aggressive approach. Each track feels forced and unplanned. The riffs convey little imagination, and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. In the juvenile title track, Lunn ridiculously screams, "Thank God for Dracula/He sucked the shit outta me/Now I can leave my work for nights/And leave my day for sleeping."

And despite the implementation of Cooper's feminine wail on some of the tracks, The Subways can't escape the attachment they have made with other garage-rock and post-grunge bands. Cooper tries to create a sugary-yet-rough punk rock feel with his voice, but only comes off like a whiny teenager who tries to prove how tough he is.

The most frustrating aspect of The Subways' music is that the band members don't know which direction to take it. In songs such as "Lines Of Light" and "No Goodbyes," The Subways abandon their loud, gaudy approach in favor of a less aggressive direction that calls to mind Oasis. In "Mary," Lunn blatantly channels Liam Gallagher, which emphasizes the lack of imagination the group possesses.

Toward the end of the album, The Subways stream together a decent set of songs but cannot escape mediocrity. "She Sun" shows The Subways straying from their pretentious garage rock and sounding unlike anyone else. Lunn's soft whisper-like vocals accompanied by Cooper's airy background vocals are a welcomed departure from the rest of the album. The track has a shoe-gazer sound, and taking this approach in the future would improve the band's chances of standing out.

Without establishing an independent sound for themselves on Young for Eternity, The Subways create music that is easily discarded and quickly forgotten. I know I won't remember Young For Eternity after a week.