Hadouken! - 'Leap Of Faith'

The Mixtape ‘Leap of Faith’ is taken from sees Hadouken! become the first band to make their new release available on USB stick only. The track doesn’t fit such an innovative approach. It sounds like the product of a band desperately trying to move on from what they have been labelled as, but lacking the nerve to carry it through.

Just as their name’s exclamation mark screams ‘Look at us, we’re crazy,’ the heavier sound of this single is aching to prove Hadouken! aren’t merely new-rave chancers with more style than substance. The drums are meatier, the singing is manic and intimidating, while heavy churning guitars direct the sound. However, as the song continues, it limps to a flabby ending filled with the same synths that usually dominate their songs. Lyrics professing “your path is never pre-ordained,” and demanding you “take a leap of faith,” are suitably rabble-rousing and inspiring to the youths the band targets. Nevertheless, without any advancement they aren’t going to be around long enough to create anything to believe in. Gone is the promise of progress, present are yelled vocals, wearisome repetitiveness and another track that isn’t as good as ‘That Boy, That Girl.’

Released 12/11/07 on Atlantic.