While it’s one thing to have influences in the music
industry, it is quite another to wear them as proudly as White
Light Motorcade do. The four wiry, leather-clad New Yorkers aim for a glorious
clash of sound between vintage punk (MC5, The Stooges) and the
melodic fireworks of 90s Britpop. It sounds like a bad idea and,
as you’d expect, it doesn’t work. The album results in something reminiscent of Jet’s Get
Born. Several of the songs have good hooks and winning melodies,
but they are delivered in a way devoid of any spark of
originality. This is a problem not just for White Light Motorcade, but also
for the current wave of ‘rock and roll’ acts. Music is
rarely totally original, but if you want to see a tribute act go
to your local pub. White Light Motorcade could learn something
from such advice. Coupled with this, the album’s tracks have
been glossed, buffed and produced to with an inch of it’s
life. ‘Open Your Eyes’ uses trademark Noel Gallagher chord
changes to no effect whatsoever and ‘Useless’, the
band’s attempt at a lighters-in-theair anthem, is let down
by frontman Harley Dinardo’s weak vocals. Things look up briefly during the catchy thrash of
‘It’s Happening’, but Ash would probably still
reject it as sub-standard. NME called White Light Motorcade “the saviours of
rock.” I can’t agree. The kindest thing to be said for
Thank You, Goodnight is that it makes all the right noises,
nonetheless it feels completely hollow.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004
White Light Motorcade: Thank you, Goodnight
