The British have an uncanny knack for regurgitating music and making it sound great all over again. The Rakes are the latest in this series of delightful repeats: Honoring a tradition from as far back as the Buzzcocks and Wire to as recent as Blur, Capture/Release makes you want to be British in the worst way — and never before has being a working-class stiff sounded like so much fun. Instead of masking their burr with Americanized yowls, the Rakes go over the top to sound as British as possible, to the point of overdramatization. “Retreat” sounds for all the world like a classic Blur B-side, while the shouts on “The Guilt” (about a one-night stand) make you feel paradoxically proud, at least until the plodding clanks on “T Bone” bring you back to earth. Punchy and brash, Capture/Release is unapologetically real, with on a spin on the mundane that makes it seem downright exciting.
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