September 6th, 2011 
James Shotwell 
Artist: The Rapture
Album: In The Grace Of Your Love
Genre: Dance Punk
Label: DFA Records
Bands really need to spend more time thinking up a name for themselves. They spend enough time thinking about where they’re going to have their next photo shoot, or what they’re going to wear to their next show, they should probably put a bit more effort into thinking up what they’re going to be recognized as for the rest of their careers. I realize band names are sort of in short supply these days, all the good ones have been taken, and there are so many bands out there, most of the short, concise names aren’t going to be memorable enough for them to stand out. But there should really be some sort of standard for these sort of things. It’s a sure sign that band names have gotten horrible when a band that can reach relatively high levels on the billboard charts shares a name with an Anne Hathaway movie. Yes, the band has been around for longer, but that isn’t the point. But when it comes down to it, those are just personal complaints, and seeing as I have several of those, it’s not that big of a deal, but in reality, a band name can convey a lot about them, enough to lead the listener to come to a decision about whether they’re going to give them a listen or not, before they even see a promo shot, or hear a sound clip.
This is precisely why I’ve always had a gripe with The Rapture, despite how long they’ve been around, and proven their worth countless times over the years. I’ve never really gotten over the feeling that, based on the name, they should probably sound like a H.I.M rip off band, and that has just never really been acceptable. But in reality, The Rapture aren’t anything like that, they’re actually a rather cheerful band, and of course, the biggest difference between them and a H.I.M rip off band is that they aren’t awful. Which is definitely something I look for in a band.
Quite contrary to being a terrible down tempo Norwegian “love metal” band for goth children and meth enthusiasts, as their name suggests, they can most accurately be described by the term dance punk, which sounds almost as vile, but it’s one of those things that is best experienced, as opposed to be being told about. I was convinced I wasn’t going to like it, but I was instantly proven wrong when the album, In The Grace Of Your Love started off with “Sail Away”, the synth tones were perfect, the beats were far from being standard over-indulgent dance beats, and the vocals were relatively understated compared to what like-minded bands have churned out in the past. That being said, there isn’t really isn’t all that much variety throughout this album, there is only so much that can be done with dance music really, no one listens to dance bands hoping for a nice combination of fast paced songs, interesting time signatures, and epic ballads, people listen to dance bands to hear some upbeat songs that they can have a good time with, and in that sense, The Rapture more than meets the standards of a dance band.
Of course, at a certain point, band names don’t really matter, naturally first impressions are very important, but in the end, it’s the music that really counts. And that’s where The Rapture shines, despite any issues I may have with the insignificant nuances of the band, and how it affects my perception of how they’re able to market themselves, they really are a rather impressive band, and In The Grace Of Your Love is a release very much on par with what they have proven themselves to be capable of over the years.
8/10
Reviewed by: Mike Hogan
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