Greenspace are clearly a band that like's to think big. Their album may open with a directionless wash of ambient whale noise, but the second track leaves you in no doubt of this band's ambition and purpose. 'Something To Me' is a blissful seven and a half minute epic, featuring some impassioned vocals by front-woman Hazel Wilde and, at it's peak, a veritable eruption of searing space-guitar noise and feedback, both of which make you realise that this is simply too good to be labelled as shoe-gazing. Track four 'Marcel' picks up the pace a bit providing a welcome sense of urgency amidst the slowly unfurling mini epics that surround it while, after another ambient noodle, 'Waiting Angels' again threatens to lift the band off into the stratosphere with it's heartbreaking vocals and sky scraping guitar solo. There's nothing particularly new in Greenspace's widescreen enormo-rock, but the classy vocals and mastery of slow-building dynamics mark them out as band to watch. Music this huge sounding deserves to be played on a suitably huge stage.

Review by Ian Viggars
www.greenspace.uk.com
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By enlisting the help of a group of contrasting musicians, he neatly sidesteps the well-trodden path of the regular singer-songwriter. It’s an ambitious move that is generally handled with sensitivity, as the danger is that some of his individual style may be lost in the process. Possibly his finest moment is on ‘Then Today’ as the vocal by Emma Rugg and piano from Steve Bell really add emotional weight, while the strutting guitar solo from James (Baz) Barraclough of The Dirty Dreamers offers an unexpected dimension to ‘Three Small Words’. Where this isn’t so effective generally serves to draw out his strengths. The use of a backing band on the opening track ‘Wait’ sacrifices some clarity for volume and highlights that he works most effectively outside of a band dynamic, although ‘Before I’d Said A Word’ demonstrates that he can arrange a band in a way that compliments his solo sound. With an enviable ear for a discernable melody, he is undoubtedly at his finest when he strips a song down and lets its simplicity speak for itself. By primarily using only his vocal, guitar and a string section, ‘Especially When The Face Looks Like Yours’ and ‘Idle Promise’ both demonstrate a McCartney-esque appreciation of how to construct and deliver a simple, yet paradoxically complex song.

‘I Have To Go’ sees Steve Reed reinforce his reputation as a fine lyric writer, but it does open him up to some criticism of treading water on occasion. Although the lyrics are always considered and measured, thematically there is little variation and he picks up where the mini-album left off. Although it may be tempting to place him in the same category as major league singer-songwriters such as Damien Rice and James Blunt, he undoubtedly offers more, much more in the way of integrity and sincerity. The lyrics have an honest and direct quality that convinces that he means every last word of them. The musical growth and inventiveness that he demonstrates suggests that a widening of the lyrical subject matter or maybe even viewing things from a different perspective will inevitably follow.

‘I Have To Go’ is the work of a rapidly maturing talent. By utilising the different skills and attributes of various other musicians as well as his own attributes, he adds a fresh perspective to what could have been just another take on a well-trodden musical style. Minor quibbles aside, when he manages to combine these different elements, Steve Reed is more than capable of taking on, and bettering, much more established acts with vastly superior budgets and PR machines.

CD launch party; The Adelphi, Hull – 12th August, 2005.

From the opening track 'Accidents' of under-stated, metal/emo band Alexisonfire's second album 'Watch Out', you are immediately bombarded with a frantic series of ripping guitar licks, creative drumming and the harrowing scream of lead singer George Logan. Although other bands such as Hondo Maclean, Coheed and Cambria and the earlier Funeral for a Friend material share the same type of music as this band, Alexisonfire clearly stick out- their songs have a looser structure, more time changes and at times they enter a whole new level of abstract lyrics (just listen to the track 'polaroids of polar bears' from their self-titled first album). The problem with many bands it that they make their music too accessible, consequently, it soon becomes boring; surely it's far more rewarding and entertaining to be able to take your own interpretations from a band's music. Which is one of the things I admire about Alexisonfire, each listen throws up something different, a new strange and thought-provoking line:

'Do they even cure you? (Cut me open drug me), Or is it just to humor us before we die (Repair all my defects)'.

This band sound like they are questioning the system, striving to evolve and not get bogged down in a society which is gradually becoming lazier, dumber, and generally going backwards- 'Let's redefine'. This attitude is clearer further in my favourite song on the album 'Get Fighted' which contains some of the best-written lyrics rock, no- music has ever seen:

Oh, 'cuz this shit's not about pants
And this shit's not about shirts
And this shit's definitely not about hair
(This shit is 'bout having a good fucking time)
Maybe the music isn't dead
Maybe the music isn't dead
Maybe we all just forgot what it fucking sounded like

Music like this could be the wake up call for our faceless society; perhaps the hoardes of kids lying in their little pods like zombies could open their eyes and remove the tubes pumping them full of commercialised,
paranoia-provoking swill telling them to consume, and realise that we can end it. This cutting edge album closes with the slowest and perhaps most accessible track on the album 'happiness by the kilowatt' make your
interpretation of it, I think you know mine. I will leave you with the wise words of Alexisonfire:

'My greatest gift to you
Is a dance floor
Free from insecurity'

Sometimes having all the right moves just isn't enough. Take Narco's debut album- it has more sneering vocals, filthy guitar riffs and dirty bass-lines than you could possibly need for a quick trash punk fix, but sadly the songs here often fail to leave any lasting impression after their initial sonic assault. Hey You's relentless riffage houses the barbed threat "maybe I'll kill you in another song" and sounds vaguely menacing, while the superior single Worth It is a pounding glam-stomp that criticises "going out every night and getting into a fight" with a righteous anger. This bile sadly doesn't last though, as Une Kilo de Stilo's opening line of "I've got bad news, I hate your shoes" seems uninspired, and the later line warning "if you hear my voice you better run for cover" would sound more convincing if it wasn't delivered in a cheesy affected drawl. The lowest point is The 2nd Evolution- it's dalliance with sleazy synth-disco sounds depressingly vacuous as tired phrases like "I like the way you move" are tossed around.

There is some enjoyment to be had here though- tracks like Heat Ray, Blackmailer, and first single Evil Brother fleetingly offer trashy rock thrills, and the six minute finale Teen Suicide Explosion is a tantalising glimpse of what Narco could do if they pushed themselves to experiment a little. It builds and builds on a bedrock of propulsive drumming and weird effects until halfway through when the whole thing morphs into a feedback driven lo-fi inverse of itself- the resulting air of edgy paranoia seems to suit them but is sadly lacking from the rest of the album. Instead the stylised keyboards, largely unfocused aggression, and strangely polished production all leave the album sounding too tame to provide the truly primal rock experience it aims for.

Review by Ian Viggars
www.narcomusic.co.uk
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