The Rapture - "In The Grace Of Your Love"

Artist: The Rapture
Album: In The Grace Of Your Love
Label: DFA Records
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

I must confess that prior to “In The Grace Of Your Love” I wasn’t at all familiar with The Rapture’s repertoire of songs. My only prior knowledge of the band’s existence was seeing their name on an array of music festivals posters from the last few years. Even with my former lack of familiarity of the band’s sound, I’m now aware that this record marks the restoration of The Rapture’s dance-punk resonance. Despite an unreleased song specifically recorded a few years ago for the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto IV, “In The Grace Of Your Love” marks The Rapture’s first record in five years. Now I fully understand the allure the band has had for over a decade. The sweet and soulful sound of the band’s latest resurgence is undeniably apparent with their forth album.

Chill beats, saxophones, stylish and polished to a tee, “I.T.G.O.Y.L.” will have you dancing on the beach in no time. The vibe is electrifying and pure ecstasy. Seriously, the fun rarely eases up and the ride is well worth the price of admission. Earlier this summer, I would have bet everything that Friendly Fire’s electro-pop opus, “Pala” was the top prizefighter for the best danceable rock album. Now it seems a real heavyweight contender has just entered the ring. The track “Come Back To Me” is slick and chilled, but half way into it, it takes an ominous turn. The thick baseline will elevate you from the dance floor. Raw, funky, moody and turbo-charged, The Rapture hits you with everything it’s got in its plentiful arsenal of tricks. Clearly fans of the band shouldn’t be disappointed with “I.T.G.O.Y.L.” and newcomers, like myself, evidently don’t have a reason not to check out their previous material now.

“Sail Away”, “Blue Bird” and the closer, “It Takes Time To Be A Man” are without question the superior songs off the album. However, make no mistake, the rest of the album does a pretty bang up job delivering utter bliss to your ears. As the summer season twiddles down, “I.T.G.O.Y.L.” will lift your spirit up as the fall season becomes underway. It’s a terrific album to close out the summer, but not even for that reason alone. The Rapture has proved that great things happen with a little patience. Although it took a solid five years for the album to come into fruition, it should be duly noted that their efforts are greatly appreciated. Instead of phoning in an underdeveloped album (what bands seem to do these days for their grand arrival back to the music scene), The Rapture appear to be on the right track with what distinctly can be deemed an unexpected, yet tremendous new endeavor.

Grade: 8.2 out of 10
Key Tracks: “Sail Away”, “Blue Bird”, “Children” and “It Takes Time To Be A Man”

Published on September 3rd, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n36/p11.htm