The Cinematics

A Strange Education (TVT)

This debut by four Glasgow lads who perhaps should have pursued their own educations a bit further answers the dubious (and heretofore unasked) question, “What would a band ripping off the Bravery sound like?” Never mind why anyone would even care, but the last thing a disc morphing at will between the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, the Walkmen, Bloc Party, and Coldplay needs worry about is finding an audience. As a product of either cynical focus-group calculation or a complete lack of originality, it’s got much bigger problems. Perhaps the Cinematics are too green to know any better, but bands younger than them make exciting, challenging albums every week. Even a fine version of Beck’s “Sunday Sun” exposes the Cinematics’ limitations: It’s a bad sign when an album’s best song is a cover. Nevertheless, Education retains some value as a lesson that once-sizzling pop trends can go dreadfully stale almost overnight. (Thursday, March 15, Flamingo Cantina, 8pm)

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This article appears in March 16 • 2007.

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