In the eighties, The Alarm tried sooo hard to be U2 but could never quite measure up. Where Bono could be overblown as well as profound, Mike Peters just came across as bombastic.
Now the mimicry continues. Only this time it is The Clash they are imitating on their latest release, "Guerilla Tactics". "Three Sevens Clash" has a fast punk tempo and hard edged guitar with lead singer Mike Peters doing his best Joe Strummer imitation. "Alarm Calling" is so close to "London Calling", not only in name but in beat and guitar riff, it borders on bad parody. "Right Now" is the album's obligatory stab at reggae.
All in all, this sounds less like a group collaboration and more like Mike Peters' own vanity release. The lack of depth in the song writing being compensated for by over-the-top pleading to "join the fight", is signature Alarm. The catchy hooks of past Alarm songs are few here.
