5.0 out of 5 stars
A breath of fresh air, August 17, 2009
This review is from: Breath of Sigh (Audio CD)
Follow the Train
A Breath of Sigh; 2006
Darla Records
My Rating: 79/100
A breath of fresh air...
After one listen to Follow the Train's A BREATH OF SIGH, there's no denying their influences: Afghan Whigs, The Cure, Joy Division, The Replacements, and, in general I'd say, the overall aesthetic of John Hughes. They are not unique in this regard. Plenty of bands continue to tread the familiar ground of the early indie greats, but it's in the angle and the execution that Follow the Train manages to stand out from the pack. You won't find sheening, over-produced hipster-bait here. Follow the Train write endearingly simple, stumbling odes to the finer things in life. The lovely "Endless Summer" sets things off on a nostalgic breeze, while "Flower" blooms into a striking love song. Tracks like "I'm Not Sorry" and "Thin in the Skin" demonstrate an inherent starkness to the overall sound of the album, as if each song was inspired from a black-and-white photo. Sometimes, there seem to be ghosts herein, benevolent beings for sure, but spooks nonetheless. My only complaint would be that the album is front-loaded - the first three tracks are just fantastic, and then it trends ever so slight downhill. Otherwise, a great record, one that has me thirsting for their (unfortunately posthumous) follow-up.
Cohesion (5/5)
Concept (5/5)
Consequence (4/5)
Consistency (4/5)
Tracks
1. Endless Summer (5/5)
2. Flower (5/5)
3. I'm Not Sorry (5/5)
4. Thin in the Skin (4/5)
5. Up in Flames (4/5)
6. Kentucky (4/5)
7. Original Disconnect (5/5)
8. Afraid (3.5/5)
9. An Akward Lullaby (4/5)
10. Remember (4.5/5)
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