Band : Freaky Age
Album Title : Living In Particular Ways
Label : V2 Records
Distribution : V2
Release date :
Review : CD

“Living In Particular Ways” is the second album of the Belgian alternative rock band Freaky Age, founded in 2003 in Ternat when band leader Lenny Crabbe and his fellow musicians were only 11 or 12 years old.
The youngsters participated in Humo’s Rock Rally in 2006, released their debut album “Every Morning Breaks Out” in 2008 and achieved quite some success with the singles of that album (for instance “Time Is Over” and “Where Do We Go Now”) and a long series of concerts.
Before preparing the new album, bass player Dieter Henderickx was replaced by Wouter Van den Bossche.
But unfortunately, I don’t hear any excellent single candidate on this new album.
Even though singer/guitar player Lenny Crabbe (son of Luc Crabbe from Betty Goes Green) moved to London, I don’t notice the inspiration that a music town like London could provide.
The only thing I clearly observe is the remaining influence of The Strokes, a band that can’t claim to be the most original artists in the world and Freaky Age are even cloning Julian Casablancas and co.
My honest advice for this young band would be to try to find some inspiration to write better songs and at the same time look for their own sound instead of just copying their great example.
To me, it seems that “Living In Particular Ways” is a case of a band that went into the studio too soon to record a new album, an album for which the band wasn’t ready at that moment. Maybe the band members still are too young and need to mature a bit more. In that case, we look out for their third album.
I wonder how Freaky Age is going to score in the USA, since they are invited to perform at the SXSW showcase festival in Austin, Texas.
“Living In Particular Ways” contains 13 songs and has a playing time of 39 minutes.
Freaky Age are playing some gigs, in clubs and on festivals in Belgium, the coming months. For instance at De Zwerver in Leffinge on March 27th 2010, Petrol in Antwerp on April 2nd 2010, Jobrock in Waregem on April 3rd 2010, Ten Vrede in Diksmuide on May 21st 2010.

65/100

Erik.