The only thing that disapoints me about this album is that they've not listed the names of the band anywhere on the cover art so, by and large, you've no idea who's doing what.
But, musically and song-wise - this cooks!
Because I've put them on at Hustlers a few weeks ago where thye did a cracking live set, I do know that the band features a female vocalist on acoustic guitar, a female vocalist on mandolin, an electric guitarist who doubles on violin and a traditional drums - bass rhythm section. So, one thing that you might guess, and which shines through on the tracks, is that the band have a lot of depth to their sound, as well as strength, flow and invention. Theirs is a kind of indie folk-rock that's a whole lot sharper than that classification might imply. The album opens with "Sunday Morning Hell" which actually starts with low register vocals and choppy percussion before a bass rumbles into life, the mulit-tracked vocals convey menace and then the band spark into life as the lead singer suddenly takes off amid chiming guitar and flowing organ work, before it all reverts back to the original more brooding vocal, this time with the main musical accompaniment, as the song twists and turns between the two styles, unafraid to go from acoustic strumming to electric strength and back again. With its use of cello, the soaring flow of "Madame Nicoline£ comes across like a cross between any number of nineties female fronted indie-pop bands and ELO, all bouncy, dramatic, driving and rising with a great vocal performance that weves a spell then eats you alive as the band veer from whisper to scream with ease and some driving arrangements along the way, the guitars churning, they synths providing depth, a latent violin providing melody and the whole thing sounding full and meaningful as the rhythm section drives forward. "Upper Side of Down" starts with lurching rhythms as the main body of the song emergews with lead vocalist and harmony vocals flying along in a kind of less angst-ridden Tori Amos -meets-Jane Wiedlin fashion, as the song, once again, twists and turns from almost dub to positively anthemic rhythms and melodies, even with touches of 10,000 Maniacs in there too, for good measure, the presence of ringing guitar leads and a mix of desperation and serenity making the song an absolute winner. "You're Not My Friend" is a kind of strong, cohesive song that's full of yearning, warning and thinking, the anthemic nature of rhe chorus very much like 10,ooo Maniacs only more solid and stronger. The vocal has a sultry kind of yearning quality to the verses while the choruses fly above and the main body of the vocal is clear, strong and emotive, proving that we're dealing with one seriously fine female vocalist, here. The band play a blinder showing that they can be strong as tender and strong as powerful, but the next track, "Child Of The Times" really cuts loose as the whole thing drives down the highway complete with searing electric lead and slide guitars as the rhythm section fires off, the female vocals shoot right out at you, and the harmonies caress your sould before pushing you firmly off the edge - an awesome song and a great arrangement. The delightfully named "Escape From Glasgatraz" is the first real evidence of their folk-rock roots coming into play as a homage to Glasgow - of sorts - lets the band slide into a verse-chorus hook that can't fail to have you singing and swinging along with it, the bouncy rhythms perfectly counterpointed by some addictive melodic work from the guitars and harp, toped off by bright and shiny driving lead vocal that makes the whole thing sound utterly addictive and extremely catchy, possibly the most pop-chart oriented track on the album.The album's title track begins with gently strummed chors and emotive vocals before a guitar fires up and unleashes this monster of a riff as the rhythm section follows suit while the dual female vocals develop a kind of menace as the whole thing rises up and drops back alternately, to breathtaking effect as it all drives along to blazing extent and, for me, one of the best songs on what is a remarkably proficient, enjoyable, well composed and well arranged debut album. With three further tracks of equal qulity and enjoyment to see the album out, this is a really strong, instantly enjoyable album of depth and strength that mixes modern folk-rock with driving indie arrangements and comes out winning with a set of repeat playable songs that are cohesive and really addictive, but with so much going on you'll hear new things in there every time you listen, yet the whole thing is injected with passion, intesnity, love and energy, a vocal performance of poutstanding quality being the icing on the sumptuous cake - superb!!