Razorlight

Razorlight are a British rock band formed in London in 2002, centred on Swedish vocalist and guitarist Johnny Borrell alongside Norwegian guitarist Björn Agren, bassist Carl Dalemo, and various drummers. The band emerged from the same post-punk revival scene that produced The Strokes and The Libertines, and became one of the most commercially successful British guitar bands of the mid-2000s. Up All Night (2004), their debut on Mercury Records, announced a muscular, guitar-driven indie rock sound influenced by Television, The Clash, and Lou Reed, producing the singles Somewhere Else, Rip It Up, and Golden Touch. The album went platinum in the UK. Razorlight (2006), their self-titled second album, was their commercial peak — America, a bombastic guitar anthem with a chorus of considerable scale, reached number one in the UK and became the defining song of the summer, propelling the album to the top of the charts. Borrell's confident, sometimes contentious personality made him a visible and occasionally controversial presence in the British music press throughout this period. Slipway Fires (2008) moved in a more expansive, atmospheric direction, debuting at number one despite mixed critical reception. After a lengthy hiatus and lineup changes, Borrell released material under the Razorlight name through the 2010s, though the band's commercial moment had passed. Their mid-2000s work remains a characteristic document of British indie rock of the era.