KentNewsNet.com

Issue date: 9/7/06 Section: Entertainment

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Some Christian mythos dictate that when the rapture occurs, all who believe that Jesus is the son of God will ascend to heaven, while those who remain will endure seven years of torture and chaos on Earth.

When Luke Jenner and the rest of The Rapture present an awe-inspiring gospel-like chorus at the beginning of "Don Gon Do It," listeners are given a similar ultimatum - embrace it now and ascend to musical nirvana, or remain on Earth and suffer painfully with The Fray, James Blunt and the Pussycat Dolls.

Pieces of the People We Love is the band's latest full-length since Echoes released in 2003. While longtime fans will be expecting moody baselines that transition to anarchy-inspired electric guitar, The Rapture exercises more control this time around.

And while calming down is often seen as a sign of selling out, precision is exactly what The Rapture needed to re-stake their claim on independent rock's throne.

The modern-day masters of the cowbell pick up right where Blue Oyster Cult left off on "Whoo! Alright-Yeah...Uh Huh," a delightful commentary on how snobby little scenesters have morphed the rock-and-roll scene.

Jenner sings "People don't dance no more / they just stand there like this. / They cross their arms / and stare you down / and drink and moan and diss," while shouting young girls reminiscent of Pink Floyd echo him beside cowbell and drumbeats before engaging in a genuinely impressive guitar solo. Coupled with sci-fi synthesizers that would make Thomas Dolby jealous, this is a prime example of how calculation has paid off for The Rapture.

"First Gear" also shows that despite these changes, The Rapture isn't going to make a total departure from the style that made the band a favorite with underground aficionados - it's one of many songs on here that combine nostalgic sensations with a new-school train of thought.

Comparing most of this year's rock-and-roll albums alongside Pieces of the People We Love will showcase the fact that they are mere Kias vying for your attention from The Rapture's immacuately-engineered Maserati.

Contact campus editor Ben Breier at bbreier@kent.edu.

The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love Released on Universal Stater rating (out of five): ?????

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