Genre: Britpop Year: 2003 Country: U.K. Official Site: Budapest Details: Tracks & Audio Label: Republic/Universal
Familiarity doesn't always breed contempt.
When I hear an album for the first few times and I instantly like it, it usually means it's very catchy, very singable and, unfortunately, very predictable and, thus, quickly boring. It usually outstays its welcome in the CD player and finds its way into the archives, only to be unearthed when I have a taste for a particular song.
After weeks of listening, Budapest's Too Blind to Hear is still enjoyable, though, even though its first three tracks are very catchy, in a strings-filled, boyish-voiced British singer kind of way.
It does suffer from the fact that those early songs—"Is This the Best It Gets," "Look You in the Eye" and "Wake Up Call"—have such singable choruses. Songs later in the album are a bit more melancholy and don't lend themselves to streering-wheel-tapping, rush-hour distraction.
I also appreciate the fact that the album is 10 songs long, just one in a long trend of shorter, better albums that leave listeners wanting more rather than feeling spent.
Two years after its English debut, Too Blind to Hear has hit stateside, and should find a welcoming audience. This is competent and gentle British rock in the vein of Travis, Coldplay, Starsailor, et al.
Budapest Too Blind to Hear
