Got a fever for more cowbell?

Well, The Rapture has filled your prescription with their new release, “Pieces of the People We Love.” They released their second full-length project the same week as Timberlake’s, “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” so it has unjustly gone unnoticed.

I have to first say that I’ve always been a bit skeptical of the “The” bands, but these cats have always stuck out, mainly because of their heavily percussive tracks and Luke Jenner’s high-pitched vocals.

These guys have got attitude for days. They epitomize, what I like to call, fashion rock. It’s rock but danceable; the sort of music you throw in your iPod when you want to strut. Just turn the volume up and the sidewalk is your runway

The album kicks off with “Don Gon Do It,” a cowbell-laden ditty with a dope synth-bass groove.

I’ll be honest; the lyrical content here is not heavy, it’s definitely not bad, but they’re not reinventing the wheel.

The melodies are strong enough to excuse any lyrical missteps, though. Bottom line, I guarantee you’ll be singing and clapping along after two spins.

The next track is the Danger Mouse-produced (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillas) title track, “Pieces of the People We Love.”

The chorus is vaguely reminiscent of the White Stripes, “Fell in Love with a Girl.” It’s not that big of a bite and you still hear their sound within the context of the song; so I can rock with it.

“Get Myself Into It,” the following track, picks things back up and I absolutely love this track.

Again, we have strong melodies combined with dope percussion and an ill bass line. There’s also a sax solo toward the end that works really well in the song.

My favorite track is “Whoo! Alright, Yeah…Uh Huh.” This song is all attitude, perfect for strutting.

Every once in a while you need that one cocky song to be your theme music and this fits the bill perfectly. When Jenner chants, “People don’t dance no more/They just stand this/They cross their arms and stare you down and drink and moan and piss,” you can’t help but chant along.

Even when they slow things down on “Down for So Long,” they don’t lose momentum. They do a really good job of keeping the energy going. The keys and percussion give it an almost Latin sound, but the dissonant melody counters that with a more Eastern flair.

I have to say, as a fan of non-conventional percussion (cowbells, woodblocks, etc.), it was refreshing to hear a band take these chances.

Couple that with the strong melodies and some decent lyrics and you have a really solid album.

There’s not a whole lot of sonic wizardry going on here, aside from some distorted vocals here and there.

However, their unique approach to melody and rhythm makes it an enjoyable experience. Overall, this was a really fun album to listen to.

So, if you see me strutting down the boulevard with my iPod on full blast, this is most likely what I’m bumping.

Forest Brooks is a senior Corporate Communications and Public Affairs major. He can be reached at [email protected].