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The Music - Welcome To The North

Album Reviews

Kippax. Such a glamorous location for a band to come from. Forget LA, New York or Detroit - Kippax is where it's at.

Kippax. Such a glamorous location for a band to come from. Forget LA, New York or Detroit - Kippax is where it's at.

That's never going to convince you, is it? Despite being child prodigies, first hitting the radar at the age of 6 (or something like that), The Music are still trying to prove themselves to some. Their debut album, cunningly titled 'The Music', won many over, the incendiary live shows convinced even more, but there's still a few adamant that Robert Harvey and co are nothing more than a funkier Stone Roses rip-off with a crap dancer as a frontman.

'Welcome To The North'. Bang. Sure, it should be "come any further North than Sheffield you Southern Fairy and we'll have your legs off", but that kind of attitude would never sell records. Swirling psychedelic riffs, soaring vocals, driving bass lines - it's got all the hallmarks of The Music, and yet this time it has teeth. Recent single 'Freedom Fighter' opens up with a hefty slice of anthemic gritty guitar, and proves to be the band's strongest moment to date.

The whole Stone Roses 'thing' hasn't gone that far away, 'Breakin' is 'Waterfall', but turned up a few notches. Melody and hook lines are added to the mix effortlessly, and although they may not have the swagger of Ian Brown, they've certainly got the substance nailed.

'Cessation' is the true revelation however. Driving, almost punkish in attitude, all the baggy atmospherics are gone - we're talking skin tight musicianship here. The structure may not be perfect, but it's a sure sign that the band have developed their sound, refusing to pay attention to what is 'en vogue'. It definitely pays off.

Will it win over the doubters? Perhaps, perhaps not. If you absolutely despised The Music two weeks ago, you'll still hate them now. If you were merely indifferent - prepare to have your mind altered. Rating: 8/10