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This one comes out of the chamber with bits of metal flying through the smoke. It's hot, it's bothered, and it's damn impressive. Although they find the tag "Brit-Pop" next to their name, I'm not comfortable with it. This is rock, and we could only dream that pop would catch up with The Music. Four schoolyard buddies, Robert Harvey (vocals), Stuart Coleman (bass), Adam Nutter (guitar), and Phil Jordan (drums) got their start in Leeds, England around 1999. By the time they hit the States in 2003 to support Coldplay it was clear these four youngsters from across the pond were ones to keep an eye on. Where their 2002 self-titled debut leans a bit more to the dance vibe, Welcome To The North is far more ambitious, far more pissed off (no doubt in great part due to the state of world affairs), and shows the ability to add social commentary with fierce building guitars and a full-body sound that begs for a stadium. Songs like "Freedom Fighters" find one thinking U2 and the Bono we used to love, while the entire sound is reminiscent of Perry Farrell. The Jane's Addiction notion doesn't stop with the emphatic lead vocal work but carries over to a rhythm section that is clearly capable of blowing your hair back.
If there is a weak point (which is debatable) it's found in the slower tempo songs like "Fight The Feeling." The band moves better in the heavy distorted wall of sound that permeates the majority of the album, perhaps most notably on the title track and "Bleed From Within." Calling back to the sound that put them on the map, they do manage to keep the four-on-the-floor dance vibe alive with "I Need Love" but it's still the angry rock that makes this one of the stronger releases of the year. Each song on the album gives the impression that The Music is more than willing to stretch things out in the live setting, and one can only imagine as they continue to develop they will leave their mark. For anyone who misses the War era of U2 and wondered why Farrell ever linked up with String Cheese, take a look at The Music. The name says it all.
The Kayceman
JamBase | San Francisco
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