Hard-Fi epitomizes everything wrong with contemporary popular music.

In an era when bands wear idols so openly on their sleeves, the quartet could fill a Boy Scout vest full of patchwork influences.

Yet English acts pay homage more unapologetically than any other performers. But while the Editors, the Libertines, the Futureheads and the hundreds of other bands thrive in a post-Strokes, return-to-rock world, Hard-Fi isn’t descendent from specific artists, but genres.

While the band’s love of rock, punk, dub and dance would make for an interesting record collection and the guys probably hold some interesting conversations about the importance and history of these sounds, the scope of “Stars of CCTV” makes it seem disjointed. The 11 tracks jump between moods and genres so randomly that the band’s name becomes literal – it’s very hard to keep any fidelity to a band with no identity.

And a rapidly changing temperament without warning isn’t endearing, it’s schizophrenia. Though there’s no cure for the illness, Hard-Fi could up its doses of antipsychotics.
Or Richard Archer could just self-medicate with a consistent helping of the reggae undertones from “Better Do Better,” or the theatrically tense string arrangements in “Feltham is Singing Out,” the aggressive guitars of “Middle Eastern Holiday” or the dub sounds of “Cash Machine.”

But consistency isn’t his strong point, unless you count being consistently sporadic.
His song-writing jumps between the half dozen genres would be acceptable if they took place over a series of albums. Instead, he seems aware this debut might be his only chance to get all those influences down on tape, and he’s going to make sure none of his roots get forgotten.

It’s this desire to supply everything generically in one place, without any expertise, that makes Hard-Fi the Wal-Mart of rock ‘n’ roll.

And no real music lovers buy albums from Wal-Mart.

Northern Star, April 7, 2006