minuteman
ok this is different.
minuteman don't have an lp out yet. instead 3 cd singles in and i decided this stuff was too good to go without putting something up. was originally interested due to a track on radio session when the line-up was described as being ex-ultrasound and regular fries. hmmmm now i was interested. minuteman is basically songs written by matt jones who indeed was part of ultrasound, though if you check the writing credits on ultrasounds prog-glam epic lp there are no credits anywhere for matt .. the rest of the band does include a regular fries dude .. but this ain't no weed induced dance groove machine. instead you get glorious guitar based epic songs.
just when did matt realise he could write killer guitar pop songs !
first single 'words fail me now' starts things well with its polite drum machine beat and delicate vocals .. a great opener to the build up when the wall of sound hits and the guitars go on fuzztone overload. sheer beauty, the b-side 'the trick is' a basic stripped down 6 minute demo all played by matt, nice.
next up is 'gave you all the blame' a limited release which was never going to get airplay due to overly obvious swearwords in prominent place i.e. the height of the chorus. again displaying a melodic quality that beats most of the new contenders for the guitar popmusic throne, and creating several genuine shiver up the spine moments within its concise 4 minutes - if ever a track could be doubled in length ! the bside 'where were you' once again a track by matt on his own showing the range of talents the guy obviously has, displaying the fact that he doesn't actually need the band to create these gorgeous pop songs, just give the guy a 4-track and he will do the rest.
new single 'bigboy' stretches things a little further - obviously the band are getting settled into their roles and matt is definitely beginning to enjoy the full band sound as this utilises all the tricks of the trade and subtle production touches that add an extra dimension. recalling the glory years of glam guitar pop and killer songs the enthusiasm is tangible and infectious, as the bands confidence increases, if this gets proper radioplay then it could really do some damage to speakers around the country. as well as the prerequisite matt solo track "untitled 1" there is another full band track 'contender' which again induces memories of past glories and future hope, recalling the best of suede's best pop efforts.
i have high hopes for the lp.
update....
the lp is now out.
and meets all my expectations and in several places exceeds them.
the opening tracks collect the various limited singles and so are well known tracks. once past these though there are several other tracks that fall into place like long lost friends.
all the songs have a similar grandiose nature to the guitar parts and make the lp feel like a complete piece of work. several tracks are genuine spine tinglers 'no harm done', 'quality time' to name but two.
but for me the hightlight is the final emotional blast 'i love' an epic track that over 8 plus minutes builds and builds - leaving the listener gasping for more ..
which there is - the hidden title track which starts with basic casio rinky dink rhythm track and again feature superlative guitars and beautifully crafted melodies.
this lp is a serious highlight of recent times.