Having seen Chase and Status absolutely tear a tent to shreds with a dj set at Rockness just over a year ago, I was keen to see what they had to offer on their newest album in terms of their own production.
No more idols is Chase and Status’ second album and they’ve brought a host of established musicians on board such as Plan B, Dizee Rascal, Tinie Tempah, Cee Lo Green and the increasingly popular Claire Maguire. It begins with a relatively original and intense drum and bass track featuring an African rapper, which should have set the tone for the rest of the album. Unfortunately, apart from a few other tracks, this is about as original as it gets, with them quickly slipping into standard aggressive fare reminiscent of Pendulum having an off day in the studio.
It becomes apparent by the third track that the album was clearly a push to gain massive mainstream attention with more accessible dance oriented drum and bass. This will come as no surprise to some as they seem to be hitching a ride on the wave of the genres more widespread appeal which has swept the UK over the past year.
If you’re into the more commercial side of drum and bass/dance, then some of the material on this album will likely go down a treat. Let You Go is a massive dance number capable of rocking a lot of clubs and no doubt soon to be heard thumping through the speakers of teenagers countrywide, as the undersides of their cars scrape along the road, while Flashing Lights again sits somewhere between the two genres, making it a decent club track. There are so many forgettable tracks on the album though, that it could easily have only retained half of them and nobody would have noticed.
However, there are some moments of originality and magic such as Midnight Caller, which is completely different to anything else on the album with a somewhat R & B feel, meaning it really stands out. It also highlights Claire Maguire’s incredible voice, making it easy to see why she is going to be a star. End Credits, which made the top 10 in the UK was unlike anything of its style to have risen as high in the charts before, combining lush, mellow guitar strings with rampant drum and bass and Blind Faith could be a fantastic pop record appealing across the board, with its piercing synths and throbbing bassline.
The problem though, is that Chase and Status really could have offered a lot more here. Apart from 4-5 quality tracks the album’s not worth buying. Even if you’re into the more commercial aspects of drum and bass, they really don’t hit the nail on the head there either, having landed somewhere in the middle, alienating fans and failing to gain the crossover they seemed to be aiming for. No More Idols is an average album with many filler tracks, a couple of big crossover tunes and some highly original but limited material, providing a glimpse of what they are capable of, but preventing them from reaching those dizzying heights just yet.