THE VIOLENT WHISPERS-Heartbreak Loves Romance CD-EP

New band formed by pianist and singer Neil Martin, written and arranged by Martin (with a co-credit for writing on the title track), recorded with assorted people on drums, backing vocals, guitars and Love Susan's bassist Gary McQueen. It's a 5-track EP of all-original tracks that kinda takes you by surprise – in a good way. The title track kicks things off with this slowly flowing song that starts as a wistful ballad and gradually builds to a crescendo before dropping right down and beginning again. The instrumental backing has a slight feel akin to seventies Gordon Lightfoot, as the slow drums crunch and bursts of riffing guitar come and go. All the while this deep bass river works almost imperceptibly and keyboards provide a melodic centrepiece. Above this the higher register lead vocal from Mr Martin, wafts delightfully, is soon harmonised and beautifully textured as synth strings provide an extra layer and it all rises slowly to a peak before taking it all back to the verses where it all began. It's a refreshing change from everything around you, very relaxed, soft, heady and really quite mesmerising. “In Love I Know” has the same feel although here the drums clatter a bit more, the bursts of riff come from the piano, the synths swoop and soar in the distance and that soft lead vocal wafts breezes into view, eventually multi-tracked to provide some sublime harmonies that are so uplifting as the whole song climbs slowly or just flows like a lazy river. “Just A Game” starts with richly textured string synths, distant wah-wah guitar and upfront phased vocal that takes you by surprise, initially. From here the band strike up a beefy rhythm and the song drives forward, still with that all-important feel that has pervaded the EP to now, still in tact, but an altogether stronger, strident track. The vocals veer towards lush harmonies and there's a real emotion to the voice. Then, all of a sudden, it changes completely as upfront “normal” lead vocal suddenly emerges against strummed acoustic guitar to change completely the whole flavour of the song before kicking right back into the surge of the verses, this time added organ providing a neat undercurrent as the song ends abruptly. “Lost” starts of with multi-tracked acapella male and female vocals that are absolutely wondrous as the tasty acoustic guitar comes in, the drums flow slowly and the decide flavour of a modern Crosby, Stills & Nash is heard on one absolute gem of a song that is just so beautiful, so lovingly arranged, sung, played and produced, it's darned near impossible not to fall in love with it as it takes a warm and golden place in your heart and you just know it's there to stay. Lush, superbly textured, magnificently produced, memorable, emotional, gorgeous and repeat-playable, this is one excellent track. The EP ends with the longest track, a shade under 5 minutes, called “A New Career”, where the sublime harmony vocals dominate on a much bouncier song with some stirring electric guitar riffing, more melodic piano work, a mid-section that reprises that uplifting CS&N sea of vocal harmonies and a generally shuffling track that once more captures your heart. As I said, surprising, 'coz there's nothing like this around on the Dundee Scene right now, but it's quality, it's catchy, it's warm-hearted, it's wondrously put together and stunningly played and sung – the perfect soundtrack for the old romantic in you.

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