“Dead Letters” review [UK]

When “Dead Letters” was first played on the stereo at PlayLouder Towers it felt like something of a guilty pleasure, and the editorial team discovered to their collective surprise that we were all getting a mighty kick out of it. Because pop-metal records tend to be excruciating; angsty, embarrassing, formulaic tat for 13-year-old boys, and, it has to be said, it’s not as if “Dead Letters” isn’t at least some of these things, but it’s done so well that anyone with a keen sense of melody and enjoyment of a well put together tune should lap it up with glorious abandon.
The flagship hit (for the UK at any rate) “In The Shadows” is insistently rather than insidiously catchy as anyone with a radio, ears, and a memory will know by now, but that’s just where it starts. All 10 tracks are humdingers, from “First Day Of My Life” with its dampened power chords, Joey Tempest-style harmonies and juddering stop/start power chords, to the melancholic and orchestrated “Funeral Song” with the cheerful chorus “I died in my dreams, What’s that supposed to mean? Got lost in the fire”. A warning sticker should be placed on the cover – “Every single one of these tracks will stalk your feeble brain if you play this fucking record more than twice!”.
The Rasmus, Finland’s biggest celebrity export since Santa Claus, haven’t got massive success by accident. The band have taken a love of bands like Muse, mixed it with their glorious pop sensibilities and produced a near masterpiece of joyous angst pop that whips anything in its genre. Lauri’s lyrics, which are all mournful laments to his former girlfriend, are sometimes clumsy, but he can be profound, and even political at times. “They say that I must learn to kill before I feel safe, But I’d rather kill myself than turn into their slave” is a reference to the fact the band still haven’t done National Service yet (it’s compulsory in Finland), and while the words might sound dramatic, the repercussions of being forced to go at this time in the band’s existence could be too huge to contemplate. Especially when they’re knocking out tunes as anthemic and Bon Jovi-esque as “Guilty”.
Pop we’re told is over (for now), but “Dead Letters” is pop in rock’s clothing. It is distinct from so much of the dross that has clogged up the charts over the last couple of years because it’s been crafted by a genuinely gifted and quite brilliant band. “In my life,” Lauri tells us, “I decide and it turns me on”. That sort of determination will get him everywhere.

Jeremy Allen

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