iLiKETRAiNS really do their homework. When their first album ‘Elegies to Lessons Learnt’ arrived on my doorstep, not only did I receive the usual CD and promotional flyer - but also a book of essays explaining the story behind each song on the LP. It’s a cheery collection of tales: subjects include death, bubonic plague, drowning and suicide… all in a days work for the class geeks of post rock music.
Opening track ‘We all Fall Down’ is a quaint ol’ melody about the lovely lives of the bubonic plague victims. One for the kids, perhaps... Don’t let their kooky love of rail transport fool you - this band also LiKEDEATH, and plenty of it. This can at times be incredibly harrowing and emotionally draining if you’re not ready for it, but that’s part of iLiKETRAiNS’ charm. Sometimes it only takes a slight chord change for a song to create that clashing pair of emotions of mourning and beauty. Putting the album into perspective, it is a beautiful collection of well crafted songs. David Martin’s melancholy tinged vocals dramatically help in giving each song poignancy, and although it certainly won’t appeal to Mcfly fans and Sun Readers, Mogwai and Current 93 fans are welcome aboard. The intelligent-but-melancholic death rock does get tiring. I know it’s sort of the theme of the day, but a couple of major chords now and then isn‘t asking for much. Opening track ‘We all Fall Down’ is a quaint ol’ melody about the lovely lives of the bubonic plague victims. One for the kids, perhaps – but it also tends to drag it‘s feet a bit. Yes - the music is beautiful and expressively tragic - but for an opener - it hardly welcomes you in with open arms. By contrast, new single ‘Deception’ sounds positively euphoric and triumphant with it’s lamented murmuring: “This is the devils game/This is a holiday/This is the devils game/And it turns me on” There’s something terrifically encouraging about it, and the lyrics are impeccably fitting. The final track, appropriately titled ‘Death is the End’, is a piano-led song that’s shadowed with strings. It sums up the entire album very cleverly, and as the last note echoes into the distance you have to take heed that throughout the mass dejection bonanza, there has been true heart and soul poured into this album. So even if it isn’t your thing (Hey there Editors fans!) if you ever come across this album and want to settle in to a collection of beautifully produced and well thought out music - see if you ‘LiKE’ iLiKETRAiNS

Sophie Hall
WRITTEN FOR ARTROCKER.COM