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Album – This Road Before – God or Julie

Posted by admin on 26th February 2008

It seems that I’ve been in a bit of a funk with regard to music that is on the rockier side of pop. It’s not that I’m adverse to harder rock, it just seems that there hasn’t been much that’s really appealed to my musical tastes. I have to admit, when I originally got this album in, I knew in an instant that my two teenage daughters would love it. There’s a strong, almost emo like sound to the album, which puts the band in good company, with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and the previously reviewed The Higher. The term emo has been one that is often misused, indeed I’m probably going to have a fair few people telling me this is not emo, but for me, it’s the easiest way to define the bands sound.

Opening with “Nothing Further From the Truth”, I can see no reason why this should not sit a top the charts, with out fear of feeling out of place. The bands sound is tight, with vocals you can actually easily digest.Call me an old fogey, but there’s is a lot to be said, for being able to actually understand what bands are singing about. “Waste Your Tears” has a very interesting sound. I can hear memories of the 80’s and 90’s but can’t quite put names to the memories. It’s funny, when “Bury Me” came on, I almost wanted to start singing “I am an anti Christ, I am an anarchist…” the opening line to the classic Sex Pistols track, Anarchy in the UK. Even though the track soon changes direction, I love how even modern day music, is able to invoke such powerful memories, be they presumably unintentional.

Some tracks evoke great memories, others do something akin to the opposite. “Being Human” really felt like a chunk of cheese, in amongst an otherwise great collection. I understand that for such an upbeat and energetic album, a slice of something a little easier on the ear is needed, but this really felt out of place. This is really highlighted, when the following track “Let it Bleed Again” starts, and you can really see the chalk and cheese effect. “Fallen Angel” is an amazing track, with an absolutely fantastic intro, with guitar accompaniment that hangs just below the horizon, it reminds me a lot of the Smiths, surely one of the greatest indie bands of the 80’s.

“This Road Before” really stands out, as the vocals are really clear, succinct and prominent. It really stands out as one of the strongest tracks on the album, even though it’s not one of the more explosive tracks. “White” is the last track on the “album” and again that hint of cheese returns, like an extreme case of Extreme. The final three tracks are in fact extras, with two bonus tracks and one demo. “Oxygen” really manages to hit all the right notes, with a great intro, then morphing into a sound, that reminds me a lot of Weezer. The final two tracks, “Fallen Soldier” and “I’m So Happy I could Die” are OK in themselves, but really do feel like they are thrown in for good measure, rather than being there by design.

Conclusion : A album that’s been sorely need to clear my ears of a few cobwebs. A great sound, which I’d love to see develop with even more edge.

Posted in Pop, Rock | No Comments »

Album – Draw a Distance. Draw a Border – The Details

Posted by admin on 16th February 2008

I’ve reviewed many albums via the Crash Avenue PR company, but I have to admit, none has raised the hairs up on the back of my neck, like this release from The Details. I really shouldn’t have been surprised, considering my exposure to Canadian music, that this band is from Canada. Indeed they hail from Winnipeg, home to another Indie Launchpad favourite band, The Weakerthans. There is much that sounds similar to The Weakerthans, whether it’s a result of where they are from in Canada, or from Canada itself, but what does it really matter in the grand scheme of things. Great music is great music, no matter where it is from.

The album opens with “Always, Always, Always, Never” and was the track that got me really hooked. It builds so beautifully and at times reminds me of the classic U2 track from their Rattle and Hum album, “Van Diemens Land”. I love this track to death and would buy the album based on this track alone. When listening to “Reunion Souvenirs” I couldn’t shake of The Killers as a comparison. This track is probably a bit less pop and more rock than The Killers, but there are many similarities. “Burns Brighter” and “Underground” are great tracks, but they don’t have the same fire that is prevalent throughout the rest of the album.

It seems many bands like to have a gob smacking title or two on their album, The Details decided to do it with “I Asked What We Should do. You Said ‘I Just Don’t Want to Think'” which is a track name, I’m never going to remember in a month of Sundays, but the track itself is very pleasant with some wonderful violin accompaniment. “A National Anthem” is just an amazing track. It builds and builds and then crashes to an almost brick wall end. At a tad under 6 minutes, it speeds by surprisingly quickly.

“The Height of Land” is another track that brings a surprising comparison, this time to the 90’s UK band James. Not so much the vocals, but the music which could have been lifted from a James album. I also love the guitar that plays throughout the track. “Floor Plans” is an unusually sedate track, featuring strong the piano, and it’s such a sweet, but sorrowful track.

The album closes out with “Far Off Places” and again this is a 6 minute marathon, but one that is enjoyed, rather than endured. It’s also a track I can hear The Weakerthans singing in my head. A great album that shook away the cobwebs, or rather opened my ears again to something a bit on the rockier side. The Details are certainly a band I’d like to keep firm tabs on, as they have all the hallmarks of a top grade, enduring act.

Conclusion : A terrific album that opens strongly, boils away and then lets of all the steam in the final track. Brilliant stuff.

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Album – Hopeful Monsters – The Arts and Sciences

Posted by admin on 16th February 2008

This is an album review sorely overdue. I first discovered The Arts and Sciences and indeed Paul Melançon, the lead singer, via the Evil Genius Chronicles podcast. Dave Slusher interviewed Paul at great length and featured tracks from both his solo albums and his Arts and Sciences collaboration and to say I was stunned is an understatement. I was so excited I hopped over to his website like a giddy school girl and ordered all three albums, based purely on that podcast. Again the power of podcasting should not be underestimated. When I got the albums in, I was not disappointed.

While the two solo albums are fairly upbeat, this album has a decidedly darker twist. However it’s not a doom laded album by any means. The thing that really sells it is the amazing vocals. I recently sang the praises of Andy Liotta, of the Billie Burke Estate, as a master pop vocalist, along with many of my vocal idols. I would be remiss if I didn’t also add Paul as I find myself returning to his music again and again. There’s an incredible feeling of familiarity, which at times feels like putting on the slippers of a classic album, you know exactly what you are going to get, but you are constantly amazed at how incredible it is.

The album opens with “Tell it to the Bees”, which has featured on a few podcasts. It’s a very strong opener, but only gives the merest hint of the brilliance to come. “What She Kept” is a tad more sedate, neither exploding into chorus, or working up to a climax, but it still manages to be very listenable. “Dark Double Bed” is a track also featured on various podcasts and it’s hard to ignore the similarities to this track and Crowded House. “O Columbia” shows another side to Paul’s songwriting and it’s a side that whilst enjoyable, still has me hankering for the more upbeat style of writing.

With, “You are Her(e)” we are drawn back into the more melancholic sound and although melancholic, it’s hard to feel too dour and downbeat. This is certainly no Morrissey maudlin tour. I love “Gravel Queen” as the opening reminds me of the TV theme tune to a great British police show called The Sweeney. It’s a comparison that certainly bears no relation to the track itself, but I love it when a song takes you in a direction you are not expecting. “Fluoxetine” is again a more melancholic track, which appears to be about drug dependency, but again Paul’s vocals are more optimistic, rather than hopelessly lost.

With “Fall Down” I realised that again I’m going through the track by track analysis, which I’ve been trying to avoid, but each track has something compelling to offer and along with the relative tardiness of this review, I thought “what the Hell”. This is however a pleasant track, which has a driving beat running through the heart of the song and making it hard to dislike. It’s not one of my favorite tracks on the album, but even my least favorite track, would compete with the best track on some albums. “Boom Echo” is a very interesting track, with very prominent guitar and great contrasting male and female vocals. The album supposedly ends with “The Monsters at the End of This Book”, which has a wonderful vocal track, with just a hint of reverb and loftiness. With the acoustic guitar track it sounds amazing.

I said before that the previous track was supposedly the end of the album, as once again Paul manages to add a bonus track. As is usual, the track is a cover song, but surprisingly enough, the cover here is of an old Hot Chocolate track, “Emma”, a great song, that proves an inspired choice.

Conclusion : Don’t skip a beat, purchase this album as a matter of course, to make your music collection more complete. For the ultimate in completeness, also pick up a copy of Paul’s two solo albums.

Posted in Pop, Rock | No Comments »

Album – Let Your Heart Break – The Billie Burke Estate

Posted by admin on 12th February 2008

When you put an album on, and within seconds it has you playing air piano, you know you are on to a good thing. When you come to the end of the album and realise that the last 55 minutes of music have gone through you quicker than a vindaloo, something special has occurred. This is exactly what happened with the latest release from The Billie Burke Estate (BBE). Inventive pop at it’s finest, which at times reminds me of Billy Joel, and other 70’s powerhouse AM radio friendly artists. “99 Liberty Lane” is just 4 minutes of fantastic pop, which if it were a 45 (remember those), I’d have the arm up and across for multiple plays. “I Want U” continues at the same break neck pace.

“Everybody’s Gonna Die” maybe takes a darker turn, but it’s undeniable that while the track is darker, it’s still incredible pop, which also at times reminds me of Warren Zevon. “Hold On” is also a darker, more laid back track, but it’s almost a relief, to be able to take a moment to draw breath. That being said, when you actually closely listen, it’s then you realise what a great voice, Andy Liotta, the mastermind behind BBE has. Although the style and tone is different, I’m reminded greatly of Neil Finn, Tilbrook and Difford and Paul Carrack, who to me are masters of their craft and I put Andy right up their with them. I’m purposefully not trying to disseminate each individual track as to be frank, there’s little point. Maybe “Perky Muscle Girl” is a little bit of a throw away track, but it’s still enjoyable nonetheless.

It’s funny, given the break neck speed of the first few songs on the album, the last 5 tracks are more mellow and relaxed. That being said the flow from one, to next is effortless. In “Skin” I can hear remnants of Dean Friedman, especially with his track “Lucky Stars”. The opening on “Dreams Come True” also has a recurring piano segment, which sounds just like the beginning of another 70’s classic, but I just can’t think which one it is and it’s been driving me crazy.

“Let Your Heart Break” closes the album and what a way to sign off. It’s an amazing track, weighing in at nearly 6 minutes. The first 2 and a half minutes are just the most wondrous atmospheric build up and from there on the track really comes together, also featuring some great, almost Beach Boysesque harmonies. Suffice to say, I think you can guess at my conclusion.

Conclusion : 2008 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for independent artists. The Billie Burke Estate has set a benchmark for other artists to measure themselves against. Absolute power pop at it’s finest. If you love inventive, well crafted, upbeat pop, this is a no-brainer purchase. Flippin’ marvellous.

Posted in Pop, Rock, Soul | No Comments »

Album – Exotic Bird – Jessie Kilguss

Posted by admin on 11th February 2008

I got this album in via a MySpace request and have to admit it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, based on the tracks I’d listened to. This 12 track album, has some flashes of pure brilliance, but also some tracks that aren’t quite my cup of tea. The opening track “Desert Song” is one of those tracks that failed to grab me. It almost sounds like a country track, from the guitar that opens, but turns into a more theatrical song. I can’t pinpoint what it is that just doesn’t hang with me, but I think it just doesn’t do anything to sell Jessie’s amazing voice. The track that follows “All I Am is Breath”, however is pure magic. It’s a song that’s reminds me very much of a Jennifer Warnes, Leonard Cohen collaboration. I love the male vocals which provide a great contrast to Jessie’s. “Lord Lucan” is also an amazing track, albeit with an interesting subject matter, Lord (Lucky) Lucan, the 1970’s aristocrat, who supposedly murdered his children’s nanny, thinking it was his wife and then disappeared. “Pulling a Lucan” became a phrase in England synonymous with making a disappearance.

“Don’t” is one of several covers on the album, which can be very difficult things to pull off. People have been covering popular artists forever, but there are two different approaches to take, either cover the song in a similar style, or run with it and make it your own. Jessie takes the former approach and I couldn’t help but wish she’d firmly stamped her hallmark on it. “The Word” is a quite remarkable track, which really shows Jessies voice to it’s fullest. As making comparisons is my forté, I’d say there is a remarkable likeness to Karen Carpenter. Not so much in the tone, for which there are few to match, but more in the tone and phrasing. In fact this track and the two that follow, “The Crypt” and “The Acrobat” are the style that I find most enjoyable. Jessie’s swings from the sweet and gentle, to the dramatic and theatrical, which while still entertaining, don’t excite me in the same way. Her vesion of Tom Wait’s “I’ll Shoot the Moon” is in fact a cover I really enjoyed. I’m not too familiar with the original, but have to admit I’m not a fan of Tom Waits at all. This however is a great track, which I have to attribute to Jessie’s vocals. It has a very 40’s feel to it and reminds me of the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life.

The album draws to an end, with “The Desperate Ones”, originally by Jacques Brel, a name I’m not too familiar with. It rounds things off nicely, with a more melancholic sound.

Conclusion : Whilst there’s no doubt Jessie has a wonderful voice, there’s a couple of songs here that I feel don’t let Jessie shine to her fullest. The majority of the tracks however are terrific.

Posted in Electroacoustic, Experimental, Rock | No Comments »

EP – Stay – Wil Deynes

Posted by admin on 1st February 2008

I’ve been meaning to review this EP for a while, but never got around to emailing Wil. Then all of a sudden I heard him on a few podcasts and then received a couple of emails from him. It’s funny how things happen like that sometimes. This 5 track EP has a great upbeat sound to it, opening with “Super Wonderful” which introduces you nicely to Wil’s sound. His sound reminds me very much of Hootie and the Blowfish, but with much softer vocals. In fact there is a very 90’s feel to most of the tracks, not that that is a bad thing. The previously mentioned Hootie, are still one of the artists in my all time greats CD’s list.

I know I have this bug up my, well somewhere on my persona, about title tracks and have to admit, at first thought “Stay” wasn’t as strong as the rest of the tracks, which to me is like leading with your best foot far, far behind forward. I warmed to it surprisingly quickly though. It’s a relatively laid back rock track, which is great, but it is somewhat overshadowed by the track that follows “Better Way”, which for me really shows Wil in his best light.

“Better Way” again reinforces that Hootie feel, but with Wil’s voice it takes the song in a different direction, which works nicely. It’s the track I’ve heard on the majority of podcasts, so either the podcasters are agreeing with me on the strongest track, or Wil is preferring this track himself and sending it out for pod play. “Nervous” is a track that really didn’t gel well with me. There’s something about it that just didn’t sit well with me. In my head I expected the EP to end on a laid back, relaxed note, but I was wrong. The final track “Tired” however does try a different musical style, but I have to say while it was a pleasant track, it wasn’t the direction I was hoping for. Overall though an Interesting EP, which opens very strongly. The first 3 tracks are great, while the last 2 tracks just weren’t my cup of tea, but very pleasant nonetheless.

Conclusion : I couldn’t quite shake the Hootie sound, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing. A great rising talent, who I’m hoping breaks out a bit and develops more of the Wil Deynes sound.

Posted in Acoustic, Pop, Rock | No Comments »

Album – The New You – School for the Dead

Posted by admin on 28th January 2008

I often think the secret of a good album / EP is whether it is able to affect your mood. This 2004 release from School for the Dead, managed to do that within 10 seconds of the first track, turning my pretty neutral face, to one of grinning appreciation. Sounding very reminiscent of They Might Be Giants, there is something oh so undeniably catching about “Photobooth Curtain”. There’s also some very subtle Beatle influences that run throughout this 3 minute track, pure and simple pop at it’s best. I was so, excited to hear the track that followed, but also a little apprehensive, would this album be able to continue along the blazing, scorched path, that had been set down by the first track. Well the answer is yes, but much more gently so. “Campground Daughter”, is a much more whimsical song, but very, catchy.

From power pop, to whimsy and then off to the almost ska sounding “Thug”, yet it all flows and follows on exceptionally well. Of the 13 tracks on this album, I can honestly say there isn’t a dud one amongst them. “Photobooth Curtain” would have to be one of my favorites, along with “Can’t Believe How Fast” and “The Wichita Train Whistle Sings”, which could almost be a Monkee’s song, it just has that high energy, foot tapping vibe to it. Finishing up with “Goodnight”, the album ends on a darker, more sombre note, but for all it’s melancholy, it just can’t do any wrong.

The more I got into this album, the more I kept thinking of They Might be Giants and their 1990 release, Flood. Every song stands up on it’s own merits, but together they form a wonderful collection of just the most amazing tracks. This is very much a summer kind of album, but on the current freezing cold days and dark nights, it’s a great way to infuse a bit of sunshine.

Conclusion : Just a wonderful album, which should grace everyone’s collection. Just a little concerned that there’s been nothing since 2004, which is an eternity in Indie music, but my hopes are high for something new in the near future.

Posted in Pop, Rock | No Comments »

Album – Cure for the Common Crush – Id Guinness

Posted by admin on 15th January 2008

Two things struck me when I first put on this album, or should I say two artists. One of them has been receiving renewed interest of late and that would be Led Zepplin. The other is an artist I reviewed here back in August, Aaron English. There is a real air of theatrics, which is exceedingly uncommon in albums today, or rather should I say in good albums. I’ve been following Id for quite a while. My memory was jogged again, way back in August of 2006 when I heard a track of his on the PC Podcast. This is an album that grabs you the first instant. When the last track finishes, you really feel like you’ve listened to something epic, in the best traditions of old.

Opening with “Rising River” you are immediately engulfed by what can only perceived as a supergroup in action, which is quite magical and awe inspiring. “The One That Got Away” has wonderful strings underpinning the track, which brings back memories of the Beatles, Eleanor Rigby. Where that was tinged with sadness, this track is tinged with a dark, almost maniacal feeling. The next track “Jade Garden” employs that vox coder sound, sometimes used by Pink Floyd, adding an inexplicable air to a song, that probably would have felt quite different without.

“I Have Seen the Future” feels very much like a natural break, with a more sedate pace and a sound that is much more radio friendly, Not that that means too much these days. I probably listen to about 10 minutes of radio, during a working week and that’s just for the news in the morning. “Down to This” starts of with a much more simpler, rougher sound than you expect, compared to the tracks that precedes it, but due to this sound, mainly due to the guitars, does again feel very much like Zepplin.

When an album has a title track, I’ve mentioned a few times, how I always expect it to be the strength on which the other tracks can lie for support. I wasn’t too sure about “Cure for the Common Crush”. It is a very laid back and slow burning song and to tell the truth, it took me a few listens to really warm to it, but I think it has a great feel and the production is great, with many interesting sounds and vocals. The next track “Always Crashing in the Same Car”, is a David Bowie cover, to which I’m not too familiar. I’m a big Bowie fan, but I’m only really familiar with his major hits, plus the odd album, usually his later releases. So when I heard this track I was unaware of the Bowie roots, until my memory was jogged by an email Id sent me, reminding me that this could not be the downloadable track used for this album, as being a cover it was not podsafe. For me this was a pleasant track, but nothing more. This track indeed marks the turning point of the album. The darker, edgier side is replaced by a more chilled out and relaxed side, which I have to admit, at first I was disappointed with, but the more I heard the album, the more I liked this split personality.

“Negative” with it’s sweeping keyboards, takes me back to the 90’s, as does the whole sound / production of the track. The 90’s theme continues with “The Joke”, which also brought to mind A-Ha, the Norwegian band, best remembered for their hit song “Take on Me”. It’s not so much Id’s voice, but more the phrasing of the lyrics and the lyrics themselves. “Beaches” is probably my least favorite track. It’s very moody and atmospheric, but just didn’t click with me. “Beautiful Goodbye”, is also a very pleasant track, but similarly, didn’t grab the way I really wanted it to. The penultimate track “25 Watts”, feels very 80’s rock, almost like a track from one of those teen movies, but there’s something about it, maybe the nostalgic feel, that really struck a chord with me.

And so the final track “Wailing Wall” is upon me and suddenly that real magic feel from the earlier tracks was back. What’s surprising is that this track is more laid back prog rock, than the earlier theatrical style, but it’s just a glorious ramble, with some very Floydian female vocals.

Conclusion : This album reminds me greatly of getting my grubby mitts on a new Pink Floyd release. At first you have the excitement, then the wonder of a new discovery, rounded off with the familiarity of an old friend. It’s an album that comes out of the gate with a snarl and finishes off with a lingering embrace.

Posted in New Wave, Progressive, Rock | No Comments »

Album – Ghost Stories – Chantal Kreviazuk

Posted by admin on 8th January 2008

Although I’ve been in Canada for 8 years, the only exposure I’ve had to Chantal’s music has been via brief forays on the web and an appearance on Canadian Idol, where she gave advice to the contestants. I’d always considered her pretty much as a mainstream artists, indeed in many countries she’s distributed via Sony/BMG. Although I usually veer away from mainstream artists, something about Chantal’s music, kept me coming back. When I discovered she was on the Nettwerk label in Canada, I fired off an email and was soon in possession of her latest CD, the one I am reviewing here. Now many’s the time, I’ve not reviewed an album for a while, because I’ve been snowed under, which as a matter of fact is still the case, with this album however, I’ve sat on it because I was a little intimidated. Not because I think of her as some rock demi Goddess, no, but something just made me feel uncomfortable about putting fingers to keyboard, this changed over Christmas, indeed something has clicked for me with a few albums over Christmas, which I’d previously had trouble with, for some reason or other.

Opening with “Ghosts of You”, this track literally blew my socks off. The piano is so catchy and I’m sure I’ve heard bites of it on the TV, probably promoting the album. It’s not only the piano that is great, Chantal’s vocals, have that wondrous mix of emotive hunger and smokey sexiness. I’m not sure of Chantal’s roots, though I realise her name is probably East European / Polish and at times I’m sure I can detect the merest hint of an accent, which is definitely on the sexy side of the equation. “All I Can Do” is the track that follows and is just another example of opening an album with big guns. There’s a lovely piano accompaniment that bubbles under the track, which reminds me of one of those old, slightly out of tune pub pianos, which really adds to the atmosphere of the track, although it sounds like a backhanded compliment.

“Spoken in Tongues” again features a very distinctive piano accompaniment, which seems to be something that spans the entire album. “Mad About You” has that wonderful quirky feel, which many Nettwerk artists have possessed. This track just flows like a silk shirt in a breeze. It’s here that I realised that Chantal doesn’t have the greatest voice, in the classic sense. Don’t get me wrong, this woman can sing, but it’s not a pure pop voice, it’s one with real emotion and feeling, one that really grabs me, shakes me and has me coming back for more. “So Cold” is a delightfully short track, at a tad over 2 minutes and an interesting one, in that it really doesn’t seem to go anywhere, but still manages to captivate.

“Waiting for the Sun” has the melody that bubbles under, driving the track forward and is easily one of stronger tracks on the album. I love how nearly all the tracks have a very different feel and emotion, but are held together by Chantal’s wonderful lyrics and vocals. One of the few dour tracks for me is “You Blamed Yourself”, which really failed to ignite with me for some reason. At a tad over 4 minutes it’s one of the longer tracks on the album, but really failed to gel with me. “Grow Up So Fast” was a very interesting track for me, because it has all the hallmarks of a 70s classic, in a style not too dissimilar to Elkie Brooks, a name many Brits of a certain age will be familiar with.

It’s so hard sometimes to tear my self away from an album review. I don’t usually like to cover each and every track, but I keep finding something exciting and interesting in each and every one here. “Wonderful” again is just a classic in the making. Killer vocals and a melody that really gets under your skin, in a good way that is. “Asylum” probably isn’t the best of names for a track. The only other one I can think of with the same name, is the B side of Gary Numan’s Cars, a track that use to freak the living daylights our of friends that used to sleep over when I was a kid. Here also there is a disturbing feel to the track, again heightened by the piano and strings, that really add to the atmosphere.

“Wendy House” is the longest track on the album, at just over 6 minutes and I have to admit, wasn’t one of my favorite tracks. It really feels like a self indulgent track and may have been better left as the last track on the album.

Within seconds of hearing the start of “Time” I knew this was going to be another amazing track. You can just sense it from the melody and when the vocals started I was well and truly hooked. This is one of the more unusual tracks on the album, as much of the earthy, emotive feel of her vocals is replace with a much more radio friendly pop feel, which while is in stark contrast, works just as well. I have to admit though, I much prefer the earlier vocal style. The album ends with “I Do Believe”, which has some quirkiness all it’s own. Would you believe it reminded me a bit of Shakira? Well it does, which is either a good thing or a terrible tragedy, depending on your musical tastes. Seriously though, it does add another element to the album and rounds things off nicely, though I would have much preferred a more down beat track to end the album.

Conclusion : A wonderful, wonderful album, for a vocalist that has capture a special place in my collection. Sheer magic. Although this is the first artists reviewed in 2008, I can well imagine Chantal featuring on next years best of 2008.

Posted in Folk Rock, Pop, Rock | No Comments »

Album – Last Embrace (Deluxe Edition) – Northern Room

Posted by admin on 20th December 2007

I received both the Last Embrace and Only Seconds EPs a few weeks ago and have to admit I was in a bit of a dilemma. When approaching a new band, I like having the opportunity of listening to earlier releases, as well as the latest one, to give me an indication of how the band has developed. Unfortunately sometimes it’s hard for me to not review both at the same time. While pondering this, I heard back from the band that they’d just released a new deluxe version of Last Embrace, which in effect combined both of the EPs, added some live acoustic songs and a bonus track, making to all intents and purposes a full album. This solved my dilemma and also gave me the opportunity of hearing even more tracks from this excellent band.

The album opens up with “We’re on Fire”, which very much defines the Northern Room sound, sounding at times a cross between Indie Launchpad favourites Black Labs, and Nicky Wire from the Manic Street Preachers. There’s a real sense of a band who are extremely comfortable playing together and also a real confidence that shines through. This is a cracking track to begin the album with. This sound carries over into “For All These Years” and although the sound is familiar, it’s a sound that really gels well with me and is carried over the next two tracks “Galaxy” and “Dutch Radio”. “Stars of God” slows things down somewhat and really gives the lead vocals a chance to shine. There’s also a wonderful orchestral arrangement that floats in and out to dramatic effect. This track for me is just sheer magic.

“Last Embrace” the title track, actually features twice, once as a studio cut and one as a live cut. Again, I’m not sure if it’s me being a finicky git, or whether my expectations are unrealistic, but I always like a title track to be a kind of backbone for the rest of the tracks to lean on. While “Last Embrace” is a pleasant track, it’s not that killer track that I like to find. “We’re on Fire” would have been a much better track, but I can understand the title, wouldn’t really sit well as an album/extended EP title. “Waiting” and “Let Me Out” are similar kinds of tracks and though I hate to say it, they feel very much like filler tracks. However putting it into context they are still very good tracks, but it probably has a lot to do with the running order of the tracks. The album opens very strongly and I think this makes it harder for the later tracks.

The album begins to turn around again with “Everyday”, but dips again a little with “This Wreckage”, which feels very lacadasical and rambling. With the studio tracks now over, the album takes a slight change of direction with 3 live, acoustic tracks. “Last Embrace” is the live version of the title track and even live, it does little to change my opinion. It does however show the bands musical prowess and sounds exceptionally good, for live material. “A Witness” is a live track that has no accompanying studio version. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric track, which while could be considered a bit of a rambling track, at least musically, but when the vocals kick in, it takes the track in a whole new direction. Again for live material, this is very nicely done. “We’re on Fire” closes the live tracks, as it opened the studio tracks, and the live version is every bit as good. It has a very different feel to it, being more laid back, rather than the rock flavoured original, but it’s every bit as good, if not better.

Closing off the album is “Home”, a gargantuan 11 minute track, that I thought may have been added just to pad the album out. Upon listening however, this thought simply evaporated. Fairly conventional to begin with, but at around the 4 minute mark, the track goes off in a dreamy, ambient direction, that really reminded me of the best in repetition. I always feel I have to add, here I mean repetition in the best sense of the word. Think of the organ segment in the Who’s, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, or Pink Floyd’s, Echos. Truly outstanding.

Conclusion : Whilst I loved the individual EPs, together as an album with all the extras, it’s a fantastic body of work that I’m sure will capture the attention of a legion of new fans, while providing enough new and interesting stuff for existing fans who have already bought the previous 2 EPs.

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