Reverend
and the Makers - @Reverend_Makers
The Band: Jon McClure (lead vocals/guitar),
Ed Cosens (guitars/bass/backing vocals), Joe Carnall (bass) Jimmy Welsh (drums),
Laura McClure (vocals/keyboards)
So
mid-June saw the long-awaited return of the Sheffield-based band Reverend and
the Makers with their 3rd album ‘@Reverend_Makers’ an album title which shows
more than a subtle nod to online social media site Twitter. The album is the follow up to the band’s
first two albums ‘The State of Things’ and ‘A French Kiss in the Chaos’
respectively. I really enjoyed the band’s
debut album back in 2007 ‘The State of Things’.
It had some brilliantly-catchy Indie-pop/Dance tracks on it such as ‘Bandits’,
‘He said he loved me’ and the band’s Top 10 Single ‘Heavyweight Champion of the
World’, that song in itself a very much ‘Heavyweight’ track and this album quickly
became somewhat of a soundtrack for me during that particular summer. The band followed this up with their 2nd album
‘A French Kiss in the Chaos’ and again featured some more excellently catchy
Indie-Dance tracks aka ‘Hidden Persuaders’ and then also went back to just some
good old fashioned Indie tracks aka ‘Professor Pickles’. This album differed much more from their 1st
album however, which was somewhat of a light-hearted, fun ‘snapshot’ of the
hustle and bustle of modern day life in the UK, while this 2nd album had a lot
more political undertones to the tracks and didn’t quite receive the same
recognition received by the band’s debut record. So after a hiatus the band have finally
returned in 2012 with this new album so let’s see what direction they have now
returned with on their 3rd album.
Track_listing
1.
Bassline
2.
Out of the Shadows
3.
Shine the Light
4.
Depth Charge
5.
Warts n All
6.
Yes You Do
7.
The Wrestler
8.
1+0
9.
Noisy Neighbour
10.
What Goes Around
So the
album gets underway with previous download single ‘Bassline’ and what a gem of
a track to mark the band’s return.
Pulling no punches it’s a clear indication that band have somewhat gone
back to their roots of the debut album having released a banging, catchy Indie
Dance track that grabs the listener even upon first listen. As Jon opens the track with “All the Monday’s
spent, craving for Friday’s highs/All the people want is b-b-bassline” it’s an
early indication that this record doesn’t feature the political tones featured on
‘French Kiss’. After Jon’s opening
lyrics, we then get this track’s killer bassline throughout and this is a great,
catchy track to get the album underway.
Opening with a nice Spanish-sounding guitar riff ‘Out of the Shadows’
continues to keep up the early pacing of the album following on after the
nicely laid foundations of the opening track.
As a friend rightly pointed out to me; this 2nd track, and the album in
general, smacks of the sounds of the Ibiza beach and nightclub culture from back
around 2001 and it’s actually a sound that suits the band very well here. As the infectious opening guitar riff, coasts
through the heart of the track, backing synths and drums complement Jon’s
quickly-spun lyrics very well, I instantly liked this track the first time I
heard and that still very much remains the case now.
Third
track ‘Shine the Light’ drops-down a gear from the first two tracks initially featuring
acoustic guitars and catchy keyboards, this track happily reminds me a bit of
the style of sound the Happy Monday’s were famed for creating and it’s actually
quite refreshing to hear this type of hedonistic sound again on a modern
record. As Jon’s sings the repeated line
of “Shine, Shine the light of luck on me tonight’, with its backing vocal’s it’s
almost gospel like and to me again, is a bit of a nod to ‘Hallelujah’ by the
Monday’s which is a great thing indeed!
Opening with industrial-strength synths, ‘Depth Charge’ is every bit of
a banging track as opener ‘Bassline’ as the combination of layered synths and
bass carry the track to another night club level, while subtle keyboards also
give the track a bit of an underlying ‘ska’ feel to it. It’s another instant track on the album and
is cleverly layered with instruments upon careful listens. While the album so far has had quite a
clubbing, dance vibe to it ‘Warts n All’ really goes back to the Indie-Pop
sound of the band’s first album and they totally nail it here! Featuring quite a funky guitar riff
throughout interspersed with the catchy line “Arrrrre……you showing me your good
side?” it keeps the flow of the album going nicely and excellently just towards
the end of the track Jon’s vocals go all distant and you just hear him individually
playing the main riff of the song on an acoustic guitar in the distant, it’s a brilliant
effect and an excellent way to close the track.
‘Yes You
Do’ is a short but nice slowed down ballad mid-way through the album, featuring
gentle vocals and soft, strumming keyboards here and a nice slide guitar effect
through the track, it’s a nice chilled-out track and allows the listener a
little rest-bite from the overall ride of the album so far. Things begin to pick up again with 2nd single
from the album ‘The Wrestler’, which I would define encapsulates the trademark
sound that the band are known for, as it initially builds from a modest drum rhythm
and guitars before a very big sounding chorus, as all the time The Reverend
himself masterfully spins lyrics how we can as individuals sometimes create
persona’s for ourselves on the outside, much like the larger than life
character of a wrestler. It’s a nicely
put together track and really helps defines the sound of the band in my
opinion. Opening with an initially psychedelic
guitar riff ‘1+0’ is a track that helps comfortably fill the album, as it
buzzes along with guitars, bass and drums all chugging along as one all the
time layered with synths giving the track a busy, electronic feel to it, it’s a
bit of a romp on the album.
Penultimate
track ‘Noisy Neighbour’ opens with a lone jangly guitar riff, before receiving
the full momentum of the band at action pulses the sonic track along, and this
theme continues as the track becomes interspersed the initial guitar riff
through these walls of sound which help captures the track’s title ‘Noisy
Neighbour’. Again this is a very fun, light-hearted
yet infectious track which for me is very much the running theme throughout the
album as a whole and is all the more better for it. We close with ‘What Goes Around’ and this
seems to be a fitting closing for the album, featuring an up-tempo drum rhythm
and more jangly guitars through it, it seems to be the closing statement that
the band are back with a triumphant return embracing the roots of their early Indie-Pop
Dance sound yet still progressing nicely here.
I think this 3rd album is a real return to form for Reverend and the
Makers, not that the 2nd album was in anyway bad as I actually really enjoyed
it, but I feel this more carefree, hedonistic spirit captured by this record
suits the band’s style of music much more all while Jon’s fantastic lyrics
paint out intriguing tales for the listener to dissect. So despite this UK summer having been so far
much of a washout, whenever I give this album a listen it certainly lifts my
spirits with its charm and positive vibes and I’m happily going to give this
album 8 B-b-basslines out of 10 and hope with repeated listens, the British summertime
finally turns up as this album would again be more than a fitting soundtrack
for it!
Depth Charge
Flynny
Track 1 ‘Bassline’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZrABRh99n8
Track 2
‘Out of the Shadows’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeCKsEdzYK8
Track 7
‘The Wrestler’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NXpclmylo4
PS. I'd
also recommend if you can to check out the deluxe CD version of the album as it
features an excellent bonus disc featuring some tracks not on the main album
and some excellent re-mixes of other tracks that are, there's some proper
underground remixes on that bad boy!
