Review Union by the Boxer Rebellion

Running a bit behind my reviews... following their first inception and album, the Boxer Rebellion came back in 2009 with the dreaded second album which is most often a do-or-die kind of deal.

The band opens with a big drumming sound and the flashing red light means go actually shows the direction the band is taking. Off with the staurated guitars and pixies grungy sounds, the 4 englishmen drive their car is the direction of more melodic weeping guitars and solid rythms and riffs. The lyrics conveyed by the high pitched voice make use of frequent repetitions that is slowly  becoming the band signature.
The quick paced songs are nicely alterned with soft ballads very haunting that may end up in a big way (soviets, misplaced, silent movie...)

The hidden gem of the album is the oddly rythmed Gospel of Goro Adachi, with it's use of  keyboards and electronic drumbeats supported by great choirs.

The band consolidates its style with this trait d'union between their first effort and the following albums.

http://theboxerrebellion.com/

The boxer rebellion - Exits review

Here 's a- not so new -band I really wanna talk about.
I discovered the Londoners of  the Boxer Rebellion during a concert of (RIP) Oceansize.
There was something there,  a sound, a voice. It was pop , good old british pop like it was outta be done.
It was hard to track down their first realease (full album realease) but it got reedited.
So It was a surprise when I actually listen to that album because, make no mistakes,
it is a good album, pop rock with the sounds that will (at least should) make The boxer rebellion a  fan favorite. Great vocals with kinda repetitive lyrics and elated guitar sounds. Strong rythmic section.
But this first disc strikes with a great emphasis on saturated guitars making a really edgy sounds that made them sounds like the natural child of Coldplay and the Pixies.(listen to Watermelon or the New Heavy to hear it).

The direction the band will choose will lean more toward songs like The Absentee.
Of notice is in all the fury of this first effort, the sad and utterly beautiful ballad, World without end.They may not create new stuff, they may not have the "it" factor or the single but they are indeed a very talented band with its own sound.



http://www.theboxerrebellion.com/

The Boxer Rebellion Live @la fleche d'or.

Another venue  quite  full for the boxer rebellion, including fan and promoter Zegut from the RTL2 poprock station broadcast on french radio.
First we had a couple of acoutic bands : Christof and then Brothers & Bone.
Honestly  it is not bad but I tend to start feeling sleepy (hey I'm old dammit) while listening to acoustic stuff on a live concert.
It would be great in a pub with a beer but well it seemed quite  well liked by the audience for both of the sets.

After a while enter the londoners of boxer rebellion.
Great band with sadly a small set (80 minutes) for their fourth album.
Nathan, the front man lacks a bit of playing tricks with the crowd (but hell I was bred by Fish on that... kinda hard) but a run-through the public on watermelon makes up for it.
The new songs went down pretty nicely and the music stands clear with many of fan favorite, the crowd was really into it.
Special mention to New york that works really well from the new album and the final song, an extended version of the gospel of Goro Adachi that really sends us home wishing for a next time.. and a longer setlist.

Here was the set list for tonight


Step Out of the Car
Semi-Automatic
Take Me Back
The Runner
New York
Evacuate
Spitting Fire
We Have This Place Surrounded
Diamonds
No Harm
You Belong to Me
Keep Moving
Fragile
Watermelon

ENCORES :

Always
Both Sides Are Even
The Gospel of Goro Adachi

theboxerrebellion.com

Review - Blackfield IV

New album with Aviv Geffen on the command once More, this time with some fellow singers invited (Jonathan Donahue, Steven Wilson, vinnie Cavanagh and Brett Anderson).
Album is mixed with guitars By Wilson.

And it shows. Same as the last album, this one is full of poppish songs  with great melodies, songs that stucks in teh head and are pretty much as good as anything out there.
It starts as typical Blackfield but get quickly lost on the way.
Highlights are X ray, Firefly and Faking (where Aviv nasal voice really shines for this one)

Nice album , nice songs but nothing really , truly great, easy pop songs nice to hear.

And that is all.. This review iw way too long for an album that clocks at 33 minutes max.... could have done a full album with the previous one.... Wait and see the next one.

Enchant - LIve at last and round up

Enchant published a great double cd/dvd of live performance with a set list close to perfection which is a perfect buy if you wanna try to discover the US band.

After that , the first album is so good nobody can really make a passe at it, even if it is a bit different from those who would follow.

So first Live at last; great best of and performance.

Then a blueprint of the world , masterpiece and chef d’œuvre.(all of them great songs...I'd skip enchanted and open eyes in a set list)

Then Goes blink of an eye with almost all great songs too (under fire , prognosis)

then tug of war with sinking sands, tug of war, queen of the informed, progtology and comatose

next album is juggling 9, with juggling knives, what to say and leading songs.

Then  abit of a tie in the rear is break (with break and My ennemy leading the poll) and wounded time lost (with below zero, pure, blindsided, interact and mettle man)

Give the rock band a chance, it is great stuff.... and eagerly awaiting the new album.

Review :Tug of War - Enchant

Last studio album so far by Enchant that gains a new keyboard player Bill Jenkins.
Following the footsteps of Blink, ToW is a strong record with the traditionnal Enchanted strength, Ed Platt thumping bass, Ted emotional voice and occasionnal deep implicated lyrics, Doug Ott great sense for melodies.
Even if the opener sinking sands is a great song, strangely I would have put the more rock on title track on first position.
After such a beginning, the middle of the album suffers a bit (despite of the great Queen of the informed with its instrumental bridge that gives me a chill down the spine) between small balade (beautiful) and strange song (Lost in a movie)but goes out with a bang with another full instrumental track very melodic before the final song that is very Marillion-esque (and that is a compliment) Comatose , written on piano with a great mood and slow power building riff  making easily one of my ever favorite Enchant track.

You can judge by yourselves

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Review Enchant - Blink of a eye.

5th album and man does this one is great.
Paul Craddick is out and Sean Flanagan is in, with a more nervous and powerful drum set.
Doug Ott finally gets to do all the music.
And the result is quite worth it.
A wonderful collection of songs from the haunting opening track about having killed someone through the hateful last one  and going by the love songs and so on. Every song has a great part in it  if not all great by itself.
Ted Leonard manage to sounds like Hogarth of old, almost whiny but not, powerfully evocative and weepily just what it needs to fill the lyrics with emotion whatever the subject is.
The production is top notch as always.
Can't really  add more except go and buy it but the limited edition with the bonus track with simply is the best track of them all, and is a intrumental. And is as good as it gets... demonstrating the prowess   can be conveyed by music only and with emotion...hell it even makes me misty in the eyes and not that many band can do that.

Definitly for me the best and most complete album so far even with different styles since the first one.
Great job guys !