It’s interesting looking back and seeing how The Rapture were the ‘main feature’ of these groups, while they were definitely one of the forerunners of the 00s “Post-Punk revival”, they’re now fairly lesser known in comparison to the likes of Interpol and Yeah yeah yeahs. While I am a fan of some of the other names featured, particularly Interpol whose 2002 album contains some of my personal favourites, It’s the Rapture who I’d like to revisit today. 

One of the stand out parts for me looking back on this magazine is two of the releases listed on The Rapture’s page, that being their first two. The first of which was “The Chair That Squeaks” which featured the title track as well as a great rendition of “Dumb Waiters” by The Psychedelic Furs. Then the second release was their first official album, a mini-album named “Mirror” which features 8 songs including the original and in my opinion better version of “Olio”. The album as a whole is some of the bands best work but is horrifically under-appreciated to this day. I do understand why to an extent though, It definitely didn’t have the same widespread appeal that the follow up album did, carrying this lo-fi, raw, unfurnished sound throughout… but that’s what made it so enticing. I even think you were to put the haunting yet funky “Kid 606 In Love With The Underground” (Mirror – Track 8), and put it up against the title track of their following album which is one of, if not their most notable song “Echoes”, it beats it. On the flip side I do feel their inspirations were quite distinguishable on this album – with Post-punk predecessors Suicide, Television, and Gang Of Four coming to mind (The Rapture actually covered Damaged Goods by Gang Of Four in one of their earliest shows at the SF State Cafeteria back in 99), as well as electronic-rock band Silver Apples whom The Rapture have publicly noted themselves as fans of. 

But as much as I liked the album, it ultimately slipped through the cracks, and never got close to the heights of their critically-acclaimed follow up album “Echoes”, where the band worked with DFA and won Pitch forks album of the year in 2003, also coming in second for the NME rankings behind The White Stripes.