Since 2008's Slipway Fires Razorlight have been a bit off the radar. No official split: just a ten-year pause for a group that have attracted some big crowds over the years and opened for the Stones, U2 and even Queen. Their leader, the charismatic Johnny Borrell (a former Libertine), had a bit of a reshuffle. Andy Burrows, Björn Ågren and Carl Dalemo, the former members, left for good and were replaced by Gus Robertson, João Mello and David Sullivan-Kaplan. Borrell, who moved to the Basque Country and gave up rock’n’roll, was drawn back in for this fourth album, Olympus Sleeping. With a Britpop style reminiscent of The Jam (Brighton Pier) and the streets of London, this record is a passionate declaration of love for the genre. The compositions are personal, but within them Borrell evokes his influences, from the Buzzcocks to The Velvet Underground. Catchy choruses with a touch of The Strokes, Razorlight fall into flashback mode with some songs on Olympus Sleeping that would fit perfectly on a Billy Elliot soundtrack. Frenetic guitars on Japanrock and bass pop for Midsummer Girl, Johnny Borrell juggles sadness and euphoria mixed with a striking songwriting talent. © Anna Coluthe/Qobuz