There's some confusion over how The Rakes actually came to being. Ask them and they'll talk of a show of solidarity outside a local Weatherspoons, or of fights in the library over who was going to borrow some novel or other. Whatever, it's unlikely that the story will ever become clear. What is becoming clear, however, is the fact that The Rakes are emerging as one of the most significant London bands to emerge in recent years.
The last twelve months have been a blur of incendiary live shows, excited appraisals and, most importantly of all, a couplet of truly classic singles. There was "22 Grand Job" - an infectious 90 seconds of handclap-assisted brilliance that, in its satirical rather than sneering tale of nine-to-five-dom, could conceivably be called the first "post-Brent" record.
Next came "Strasbourg", an altogether more serious, romantic tale of escapism, replete with a similarly unforgettable guitar riff that made the strength of the band's songwriting emphatically clear. There's no sign of things letting up either; the forthcoming "Retreat" draws from a more sophisticated musical palette and is perhaps their most enduring release to date.
(Biography by The Rakes)
Website: http://www.therakes.co.uk
