THROUGH

Austrian band AMITY IN FAME was formed back in 2008, and they released their debut album "Dinner for One" later the same year, and made it available as a free download on the Jamendo website, where it has been downloaded more than 40.000 times in the years that followed. "Through" is their second full length production, and was initially released through Graviton Music Services in 2012. Towards the end of 2013 this album was also made available on Jamendo.

Amity in Fame are commonly described as an acoustic rock band, and the band themselves have dubbed their specific take on rock as "powerful acoustic rock". Both descriptions are, as I regard it, only partially truthful. At least if this album is the one used to document such claims. The acoustic guitar is the main and the vital instrument throughout, which is where the acoustic stems from presumably, but this isn't an acoustic band as such. I rather doubt that the bass guitar is an acoustic one for starters, but even if it is the band does use keyboards to provide supplemental details fairly often, and unless I'm much mistaken there are some guitar riffs used for effects at times too. There's also a few guitar solo runs at hand that quite clearly doesn't originate from an acoustic instrument. The main dominant instrument details tends to be provided by acoustic instruments then, but this isn't an all out acoustic band. Not that it matters all that much, but in terms of knowing what to expect these may be important details for some.

For me, "Through" comes across as a solid production through and through, and one with quite a bit of variation to it as well. Opening cut Good Night And Shut Up is a dark and intense one that I suspect may be traced back to grunge as far as initial inspirations goes, and there may even be a slight punky vibe to this one. Longer tracks like Cyranoia and Kraken are more elaborate creations, fairly quirky at times, with a sound, mood and approach that gives me associations to a band like Radiohead more than anything else. The dark, dream-laden instrumental Mirrordrops is something else entirely, the bass guitar central on this one alongside what I suspect are electronic effects, while title track Through is more of a ballad oriented affair, light in tone and fairly smooth, but with a subtle underlying intensity that gave me associations towards good, old REM. The following piece, Burning the Witch, explores a darker and more intense territory again, and on this occasion the mood and vibes are much closer to grunge again, and on this occasion I'd toss in Nirvana in the name dropping department as far as my own associations go.

Careful keyboard details, sometimes also more elaborate ones with an orchestral orientation, supplement the bass, drums and acoustic guitar on key occasions throughout, some electronic effects are added here and there, and guitar riffs and electric guitar solo runs are added in as well. But gently plucked and more frantic acoustic guitar attacks dominates throughout, besides a lead vocalist with a fairly versatile set of pipes. From light toned and frail to harmonic and emotional to dark, edgy and almost threatening, this is a band with a skilled and talented lead vocalist that manage to use his voice to elevate the compositions. It's always a pleasure to listen to good lead vocals, and Amity in Fame comes across as a band that have found the perfect guy in this department.

Otherwise my general impression of "Through" is that it is a solid and well made production through and through. I suspect I'd sort them somewhere under indie or alternative rock when dealing with the art of placing squares in round holes, also known as genre description, but there are elements at hand that due to general sophistication and occasional quirkiness might interest those with a more defined taste for progressive rock as well. As far as defining a key audience goes, I would guess that most people that have the trio of REM, Nirvana and Radiohead in their music collection should find this album enjoyable.