So are they part of this generation?
[Video][Website]
[3.80]
Scott Mildenhall: You, conscientious reader, may scoff. To you, Rizzle Kicks might not be pushing the boundaries with what they say here, but in terms of the mainstream media (pop music in particular) they’re certainly fighting against the tide. It’s always going to be a struggle. Take the admittedly gallery-playing John Terry and Jeremy Kyle lines. Many people will laugh at the former more because they dislike him than racism (and club allegiance alone can reverse the effect anyway); many will laugh at the Kyle one while continuing to buy into the polluting polemic he propagates. Either way, they’ll still get more attention than, say, the bits about sexism. On top of that the incessant flipping between the meant and unmeant is bound to confuse, and lots of people aren’t even going to see the sarcasm in “hashtag trend” (check Twitter itself), so where to start? That they are starting, and on worthy targets is good though, and that they can do it in a considered way and without sounding boring or being preachy is testament to how easy they make everything look. They’ve certainly come a long way since namechecking True Lad.
[7]
Anthony Easton: I like this well enough, but it does pretty much sound like the thing that would attract both Pharrell Williams and would work effectively as a soundtrack to the scripted film Wikipedia tells me they have lined up.
[6]
Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: State of the Nation Addresses should never really be intelligent or considered – they should be grand, sweeping, furious. The best examples of this approach can be make obvious points about obvious discrepancies both societal and personal, but remain devoted to the sheer force of making A Statement. The “Mama Do the Hump” guys want to make A Statement for one reason alone – sophomore jinxes need an engaging hook. Beyond the lovingly assembled horns, they show their devotion to being dunderheaded performers – they say “hashtag” out loud, pick easy targets, try to make “dodgy” work in a rap. But then you learn of their sheepish request to lawyers to keep them safe from libel after throwing weak shots at – fingers on the pulse, guys! – chat show host Jeremy Kyle and footballer John Terry. The sheer fact that they cannot stay devoted to their political statement is the point that “Lost Generation” turns from goofy to odious. The last rule to crafting a State of the Nation Address: never, never admit cowardice.
[2]
Iain Mew: Sonically, “Lost Generation” is pretty close to “Down With the Trumpets”, but now instead of the vocals marking time for the great brass, that brass is just an added bonus. That would never have worked previously, but Rizzle Kicks’ words are now sharper and spikier enough to mostly make sure it does. They range from sexual double standards to a pivot from inflated YouTube view counts to John Terry’s racism that hit as a pleasant shock that still hasn’t worn off on subsequent encounters. It’s just a shame that if there is an overall message it doesn’t come through as sharply as it could, best demonstrated by the convenient lack of clarity as to whether “why’s everybody so PC?” is sarcasm.
[6]
Alfred Soto: The brass section mocks the dumb references to hashtag and PC (in 2013!) and easy fatalism of the title hook, a move which they might think proves their smarts. But the brass section plays a variant on what to these wars sounds like Marc Anthony’s “I Need to Know.”
[4]
Patrick St. Michel: Wait, so is this being sarcastic? The first half…the half where Rizzle Kicks rage against reality TV…just comes off as grumpy grandpa, but then the second verse comes along and I don’t know what happens. He ends it with the mostly progressive “what’s wrong if a girl loves sex/it’s only wrong if it’s not with you” (let’s ignore the following line implying this is actually a result of you just not being good in bed). But before that he also revels in the double standard he’s afforded and rolls his eyes at people being politically correct (the horror!). I can’t tell whether he’s making fun of someone or if Rizzle Kicks are just annoying as hell.
[3]
Cédric Le Merrer: Among my advertising buddies, Rizzle Kicks are known as a reliable band. Universal will lend them to you for a night of corporate shilling, whatever the product. They’ve got that “seems edgy while not being offensive to anyone” thing down pat. They sound urban in an “Urban Outfitters” kind of way. You can’t even say they’re bad. Which may be worse.
[4]
Brad Shoup: There’s no mortification like whiffing on an easy target, and Rizzle Kicks have pulled a Brandt Snedeker with this one. Tossing up one witless thought after another, failing to even nick plum targets like racist footballers and whinging talk show hosts, the Rizzles sound bored with the very idea of being cheeky. I’m down with the trumpet solo; at least the brass section is stepping large. But every time I hear “hashtag trend,” my heart dies a little more.
[2]
Will Adams: I don’t know who Jeremy Kyle or John Terry are, but even without the cultural context, “Lost Generation” is the most bone-headed generational lament I’ve heard since “Price Tag.” Over a beat that’s probably supposed to evoke the Spice Girls (like, when music was good, man!), Rizzle Kicks whine about reality TV, music, and gender norms in such trite terms I think they may be aliens posing as humans. Even worse, they don’t care enough to distinguish between what lyrics are ironic or not, so you’re left wondering what they’re trying to say with something like, “I want you to feel useless, baby.” I had reserved some goodwill towards this in the hope that it was actually a meta commentary on how dead-eyed these perfunctory social justice anthems can be, but the repetition of “Hashtag trend!” as a hook was enough for me to subtract the last point.
[0]
Tara Hillegeist: I’m pretty sure this is a song that’s giving Liam Payne life right now.
[4]