Randomly coming across a talented band in cyberspace usually means you’ll hear one song before they disappear forever. But here, Platform’s Editor GLEN DAVIES looks at the promising debut album from one of his recent online favourites.
Straight Lines – Persistence In This Game
Released: 15/2/2010
(Xtra Mile)
I first came across this lot by chance on MySpace, which is often a pretty dire start, but it was their addictive track Versus The Allegiance which had me hooked. It was nothing groundbreaking, but it just stuck in my head. Endlessly.
So when I heard about their new album Persistence In This Game hitting the market on Monday, I was pretty eager to hear what their other material was like. Given that Versus The Allegiance has been floating around for some time, I was starting to wonder if they were actually capable of making anything else of the same calibre.
They are. Certainly, they have a distinctive sound, but it’s a one that really is an acquired taste. Opinions will split like Katie Price’s legs over whether vocalist Tom Jenkins’ voice is a little too squeaky and sharp, some will love the simple but addictive lyrics and others will just hate the lot. And that’s good, because it means they’re not bland. Bland means nobody thinks about you at all, and that’s disastrous.
Their next single, Runaway Now, on sale from March 1, is certainly a good one. Antics, however, is probably the best. It will be their knack for catchy melodies and tight lyrics which sees them through, and this track is probably the best example of that.
There are faults. Chorus lyrics might be well-honed but they seem more spun-out in the verses, and whilst the recipe of simple catchiness will work for a first album, it could wear thin after a while.
The talented Welsh four-piece are due to play Rock City on February 18, and it seems likely that their particular brand of sound will be better live than it is recorded.
Persistence In This Game, though, is a welcome breath of air in this field. It’s one of the few albums I’ve listened to recently that I’m happy to play all the way through. And, if you do just that, trust me, you’ll be humming it for days.
Glen Davies
Editor-in-chief
Tags: straight line, xtra mile
