SOUNDS & SILENCES

Em...wow. Usually when people tell me to check out unheard or underground bands I expect really bad production, really poor songwriting, bad musicianship and just plain blandness. So when I sat down (actually I was walking my dogs) to listen to it, I really wasn't expecting much, but because I have low expectations of everything, most things I listen to seem great. But this is a little bit more than great...it's brilliant actually.

A weird way to try and sell these guys is that they are like a mixture between Dream Theater and Incubus. They have brilliant musicianship, but, they also know how to write songs. Also, the band aren't afraid to experiment, with the use of instruments like saxophones, trumpets and trombones.

I have to admit, some of the lyrics on the songs do at times seem rather generic, but, surprisingly, the vocals and the musicianship overshadow the cheesiness of the lyrics. Sometimes rather cool tag lines in the chorus' appear, which have some nice little metaphors and similes.

The album's opener "Thinking Out Loud" starts off very simple. Pretty acoustic melodies with a simple vocal line. The song then bursts open and some standard prog musicianship plays off each other. Daniels vocals are shown off very well in this song, with his range really being pushed to the limits and pulled off flawlessly.

One of my personal favourites has to be "Solitude." One of the more darker and heavier songs on the album. With rather a middle eastern sound throughout the verses, the catchy chorus and mixed styles really make the song more enjoyable.

My favourite song on the album, due to the sure oddness of it would have to be "February Girl." Starting off with a beautiful saxophone and guitar intro, the song morphs into a rather dark musical accompaniment with some nice poppy melodies. A very interesting contrast in tones and definitely a hidden highlight on this album, depending on tastes of course.

The albums closer, the 14 minute epic Memories is a real interesting long track. Instead of flourishing with pomp and dramatics, the band experiment a bit. The song is almost split into three songs, a rock epic, an acoustic moment and a rather slow and dark jazzy ending. The only problem I have with this song is the length. 13 and a half minutes is perfect. 30 extra seconds of a drumbeat over and over...yea...bit silly.

In conclusion, these guys have came from nowhere, and I'm surprised at how much little attention these guys have received. This is an absolute stunner of a debut...but I do feel this isn't the full package and more is yet to come. Having heard their newer stuff that will appear on their next album...let's just say, we will all be surprised. Download this album, stream it, or even buy it when it comes out. It's definitely worth a listen and an addition to anyone's music collections.

8.3/10

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