Posted by admin on 5th August 2007
Although this is a relatively new band, their history can be traced back to a previously reviewed band on Indie Launchpad called The Profits. They were one of my early reviews with their album “Far From You and Your Everyday Noise”. I’m always very skeptical when a band morphs, but I needn’t have worried. This is an absolutely stellar album.
Their 10 track album, “Heights of the Heavens” opens with “Typical”, a track that screams for radio airplay. The vocals are just sheer magic, blending emotion with the merest hint of angst. It’s not the kind of track I would normally want to hear an album open with, as it’s relatively slow, but here it just works. Track 3, “Half the Girl” has a much rockier feel to it, but it’s the vocals that again standout. Whether it’s experience or just someone well connected with the lyrics being sung, I don’t know, but they work exceedingly well.
“London Rain” may be familiar to fans of The Profits, as it is one of two tracks featured on this album, that was also on The Profits last album. The second track “Atlantic” is also funnily enough the track that follows. Both tracks are quite a bit shorter than their earlier takes. “London Rain” losing 40 seconds, while “Atlantic” is over a minute shorter. Listening to both version of each track side by side, proves quite interesting. The newer version of “London Rain” shows a much better production, giving much more emphasis to the vocals, which I found at times, drowned out on The Profits album. “Atlantic” is a different take, and while again the vocals have been given a much needed boost, musically I prefer the Profits version.
The album rounds of with an interesting take on the Jackson’s classic “Ain’t no Sunshine” which I have to admit left me a bit cold, but not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for this album.
Conclusion : BUY! BUY! BUY! Yes indeedy a cracking album. If you were a fan of The Profits, picking this up is a no brainer. Even if you have never heard of The Profits before then this is still a no brainer. Thoroughly recommended.
Posted in Acoustic, Rock | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 5th August 2007
- Band / Artist : Mole – mySpace
- Genre : Pop / Rock
- Sample Track Download : Dive
- Buy CD : N/A
- Buy Digital Download : BeatPick
- Rating : 8.5 out of 10
I don’t know what it is, but there seems to be a definite rise in good music coming out of Sweden. Whether this is a new wave, or me just catching on, I don’t know, but I’m constantly amazed at the talent that is around.
This is a band I found via my friends at the BeatPick label. I was actually just surfing through their site and found Mole. As soon as I heard the first track”Say My Name” from their self titled EP, I had a pangs of nostalgia, taking me back to the BritPop explosion of the 90’s. There’s an undeniable energy that surges through this great EP.
“Dive” shows a mellower side to the band, but that undeniable energy is still there. Musically and indeed on occasion vocally, I’m reminded a lot of Robbie Williams. The lyrics certainly have that Robbie flow to them. “I Still Believe in Love” has a great, almost ambient piano intro. The track itself is probably my favorite on this 4 track EP.
Unfortunately the EP rounds off, with the almost forgettable “For You”, sounding a bit like a poor copy of ColdPlay. Maybe I’m a bit harsh on this track, but I’m getting kind of ColdPlayed out.
Conclusion : A fantastic EP showcasing just one of the many talented bands in Sweden. I look forward to a full album release in the near future.
Posted in Pop, Rock | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 5th August 2007
The tone of this album reminds greatly of some of the classics, from the likes of Led Zepplin and Queen. However whilst the vocals have that Led Zepplin, power and Queen melodramatic delivery, the underlying music has an almost conflicting softness. Aaron will probably wince when I compare him to Al Stewart, he of “Year of the Cat” fame. That’s meant in no way as an insult, just that the rhythm and lyrically flow has that softer feel to it.
This 12 track album opens with the title track and as you would expect it’s a very strong opener. There’s some great uses of instruments, especially drums. The Al Stewart influence for me, is very strong in the second track “Thin Ice”. As I said before it’s more the lyrically flow than the music, but it’s a wonderful influence nonetheless. “Like Smoke” shows a completely different side of the album, with an almost middle eastern sound.
“Lovers in the Red Sky” is a more traditional ballad and for me is one of the real gems on the album. I’m a sucker for a ballad and this one has a real great feel to it, in both the production and the performance. There’s a real temptation to go through the album, track by track, but I’m sure you can pick up on the fact, that I’m 4 tracks in and there is quite an eclectic mix of influences and flavors.
I do however have to give a special mention to “Crossing the Desert, Crossing the Sea” which smacks to me of a track by Sting. I can just imagine him singing this. Maybe this isn’t a coincidence as track 11 is a cover of the Police’s “Message in a Bottle”, although this is a cover with a very different interpretation. The final track “Moon Murmurs” is one of those tracks that’s just amazing to listen to whilst wearing headphones and would have to be one of my favorites on the album.
Conclusion : This is an album that I probably wouldn’t have discovered, were it not for the fact that Aaron himself contacted me. This is very much an album that stands out from the crowd, for all the right reasons. I have to admit, it took me a couple of plays to really get into, but was well worth the perseverance. A little touch of something different and a wonderfully well executed album.
Posted in Electronica, Melodramatic Popular Song, Pop | No Comments »
