Waiting Game - Turbo Blanc

Article originally published on Fresh Air, and is therefore their copyrighted material:

On Turbo Blanc's (pictured) debut single 'Waiting Game', the four-piece take the drama of bands like Muse and Queen, a melody line and harmony that are almost baroque in their theatrical nature, with a more modern electric instrumental kick; gliding guitar and powerful pulse-rhythm bass. This track could easily come from the second act of a rock opera. The band are releasing this track ahead of their debut album, due out in 2011. The band’s drummer, Virgil, controls the dynamic, moving from a standard rock beat to a more complex rhythm, and building to a crescendo. Lead singer Nik sings “I blame myself, in the absence of anyone else” in a sorrowful, regretful tone. As the song reaches its peak, influences of Elbow and Manic Street Preachers are revealed, mixing with Turbo Blanc’s clear 70s classic rock heritage. It isn’t quite the Meatloaf-esque rock explosion that represents the pinnacle of this style, but could stand tall beside the more dramatic Snow Patrol tracks without losing its nerve. The single is out now on the Fuzzbox Records label.

Static Kingdom - The Steals

Article originally published on Is This Music?, and is therefore their copyrighted material:

The Steals’ debut album, ‘Static Kingdom’, is the soundtrack to a cartographer’s voyage of discovery into lands unknown. Lead singer Jayn Hanna’s delay-effected vocals float like a gentle breeze over the rolling hills of guitar riffs, glowing with chorus and reverb effects.

Ironically these modern digital sound enhancement technologies make the listener feel like they have been transported to the past. A smattering of snare brushings or bongo tapping provide the percussive backdrop, as the ambient guitar and misty vocals paint the foreground.

While the first three tracks, ‘Hope’, ‘Shelter’ and ‘The Weight’ are summer afternoon light-spirited tunes at various tempos, the album’s flow then takes a turn down a darker stream. ‘Dead Flame Rising’ has an after-dark eeriness and ‘Stay In Silence’ has a strong tribal potency.

At almost nine minutes long, ‘Golden’ loses its way somewhat, without enough of a stable refrain to return to, this prog rock song has lost the listener’s attention half way through. This attention is re-ensnared, though, as ‘Borderlines’ slowly swells to a crescendo. ‘All Coming Back’ represents probably the most commercially viable track on the album, which is still a far stretch from a typical pop song.

All–in-all, ‘Static Kingdom’ is a good representation of the dynamics that The Steals can achieve within their folk-ambient subgenre, but while the album has its high points, it fails to capture the hypnotic quality and sense of both guilt and serenity created by their previous release, the ‘Floodlights’ EP.