On their second full-length album,
Union, the Anglo-American band
the Boxer Rebellion continue to sound like
U2 as fronted by
Radiohead's
Thom Yorke. The British rhythm section of bassist
Adam Harrison and drummer
Piers Hewitt sets up simple, repetitive patterns for each track, over which Australian guitarist
Todd Howe plays simple, shimmering sequences that fill up the sound picture. On top is American singer
Nathan Nicholson, singing in a whiny tenor disconnected lyrics, usually directed at a "you" who seems to be an unhappy love interest, expressing charges of betrayal and the overall inadequacies of life. The songs tend to build in intensity, without the tension being broken until the end. It's easy to imagine this working in concert, even if, on disc, the relentlessness can be wearing. ~ William Ruhlmann
