Stateless Stateless
Do we need another Radiohead copycat? Leeds quintet Stateless must get asked that a lot. […]
Do we need another Radiohead copycat? Leeds quintet Stateless must get asked that a lot. Lead singer Chris James’ delicate falsetto and his band’s ethereal pop do beg comparisons, but dig deeper into Stateless’ debut and a broader Brit-pop blueprint emerges, one that embraces everything from Zero 7 to Aphex Twin. “Prism #1” is a tour de force, with swelling, string-drenched choruses and lush melodic arrangements, while “Bloodstream”‘s lazy tempo and moody lyrics recall Massive Attack’s bleak ballads. James’ earnest singing is often one note away from collapsing into pretension, but retreats enough to sustain the recording. Is this The Verve remixed by DJ Shadow? Nah, just Stateless making brilliant borderless pop.