EP – Transparent – Chasing Arrows

Posted by admin on March 11th, 2008

First off I have to say, I get a little antsy when a band releases a 7 tracks and calls it a CD. To me 7 tracks, weighing in at 24 minutes is more an EP than an Album. Calling it a CD just seems to be a way to blur the lines. Anyway rant over.

It’s sometimes difficult when a band requests a review to get a good feel of what they are about, just by listening to a few tracks on MySpace. Sometimes I take a chance and am blown away and sometimes I get a CD and just think, ouch a one track wonder. So when this CD came in from Chasing Arrows, and I heard the first half minute or so, I began to wonder what I’d let myself into. This 1 and a half minute track is more like a drummers warm up, but I could sense something really pleasant coming, unfortunately what I got was the next track “Stranger than Danger”, which while a pleasant enough track has an awful start.

Oh those lads from Oasis have a lot to answer for, in this case more for the guitar work that’s interspersed throughout the title track “Transparent”, rather than overall musical influences. This is a great track, that really has a great vibe about it. The vocals also have a very distinct sound and contrasts the music nicely. I was trying to think of who the lead singer reminded me of, but couldn’t quite place it, but when “My Addiction” started I keep thinking of John Evans from the John Evans Band, an artist already reviewed here on Indie Launchpad.

The more I got into this CD, the more it started to relax itself. The first few tracks feel somewhat uptight, but by the time “Unaware”, the firth track starts, everything seems to flow much freer. “Down and Out” failed to really grab me, but the final track “Look Ahead” I really enjoyed, with it’s flashes of Bruce Hornsby.

Conclusion : A great band which I can see developing nicely by the time a full album release comes to fruition.

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