Probably the most anticipated and eagerly awaited album in the recent five year history of the Dundee Music Scene, from a band who I once described in a live review as “The Beatles for the 21st Century” and if you think that there's no way that a band could ever be that amazing, then listen to this album and think again – for it's genius on every level and there's not a song on here that shouldn't be hailed as a classic, now and in years to come.
The album opens with “Don't Stop, Believe” as an immediate surge of Stevie Anderson's rolling twangy lead guitar, Simon Donald's solid rumbling bass and Martin Donald's driving drums, break out into this sea of guitar openness, the main drum rhythm starts and then vocalist Stuart Purvey comes in with an impassioned verse that really hits the spot as the whole thing rises up in this blaze of instrumentation, the song's “verse as hook” structure really working as the sheer power of the production lets every facet of the deep and burning, clear as a bell instrumental work, come into play. The vocals are delivered with conviction from a guy who you immediately identify as having a strong, strident vocal that really fits the songs, as the backing veers from solid, twangy electric guitar-led rolling rivers through a searing heat of guitar break above driving rhythms then back into the anthemic verse to lift you up and take you off with intent as the song surges ahead, the presence of an organ layer underneath adding extra texture, and, with a final burst of guitar led heat, it's this organ that segues right into the surging rush of adrenaline that is “The Chase” opening with choppy, fast rhythms, wordless chorus, blazing guitar riff as the song itself comes headlong at you like a train, its lyrics so amazing, its delivery with fire and passion, as, once again, the song itself becomes the hook, Stevie Anderson's sea of guitars firing on all cylinders, as the riffs fire into a break, then it's back to the rolling verses as the adrenaline's now coursing around you and all you want to do is leap around the room with your fists in the air, aghast at just how good a song can be, enjoying every solid second of it – christ!!, even The Beatles never sounded THIS hot. But then it's over with a whisper as gentle piano contrast and a slice of pure Lennon-esque balladic vocal take the track out.
But with a burst of guitars and a surge of rhythms, the band hammer right into “Local Boy Lost”, another socially aware lyric just perfect for a reflection of and an observation of the times, with strong lead vocal delivering the song with bite and passion, as the fast-paced choppy rhythms and sea of guitars, take it all to the hook and you're life is complete, before they then move on to the next verse and it's one of those songs that will be as relevant in ten years time as it is now, and superbly played, written, sung and produced, a surging indie anthem with the absolute commercial requisites and, like all the songs on this album, positively timeless.
“Man In The Moon” starts with a surge before dropping back to a more reflective singing as the backing is deep, strong and epic, but it all rises up into the chorus and, once more, this huge anthemic sound of the most commercial indie band since Oasis, fills you with delight and another great song is delivered with conviction by a band who know that their songs are the stuff of which legendary songs are made. But if what you've heard so far was epic in every way, then next up is “Television Satellite”, a slice of solid, strident, strong indie-pop genius that The Beatles would have killed to come up with and Oasis simply couldn't, as this mix of driving acoustic and electric guitars plus solid solo electric guitar steams ahead with the deliberate pound of the rhythm section giving it the necessary commercial addiction while all this is topped with Purvey's lightly echoed, multi-tracked vocal delivers Anderson's wonderful lyrics with passion and conviction as a simply stunning slice of the strongest indie-pop lights up your life, a track that, with National Radio Play, could be a top 5 surefire hit.
REVIEW CONTINUES HERE