Dave Chamberlain

For a band that doesn't even have an official full-length record out (though a very hyped effort is on its way), The Rapture has collected the positive nods of critics everywhere and been hailed as the unlikely prince of post-punk's return to the forefront. Perhaps everyone is taking the band a little too seriously. Based in New York after relocating from D.C., The Rapture's initial splash came from a six-song EP, "Out of the Races and On To the Tracks" (Sub Pop), a record which found the band treading the anti-melodic oceans initially sailed by the likes of Gang of Four, Suicide and even (to an extent) PIL; a surge of interest led to "Mirror," which collected the band's pre-NYC days, and opened the nutshell of the Rapture's early development. Lead singer (and band founder) Luke Jenner possesses one of rock's great, agitating voices, not really a singing voice, per se, but one that keeps rhythm, adds dissonance and gets under the skin in a positive way--it's the perfect compliment to the rest of the band's sticky, aggressive and out-of-control drum-keyboard-guitar hacksaw. In a cage match with fellow post-punk reformers The Liars, the Rapture might not hold up creatively--but you can bet they'd go down swinging until the end.

The Rapture plays May 5 at the Metro, 3630 North Clark, (773)549-0203.

(2003-04-30)

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