Customer Reviews

So Much For The City

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There was a time in the early 1970's when music like this was so common we took it for granted. Poco. America. The Doobie Brothers. The Eagles. The Byrds. That easy-grooving, mellow rock that never sounded even remotely like a compromise between rock and mellow. That was, in the purest sense MUSIC.

Those times have gone, and only on rarest of occasions do we spot a glimmer of that which was. Acts like Split Enz who became Crowded House. The Housemartins who became the Beautiful South. Songs to tap your feet to without embarassment. Melodies to lift the soul. Hooks to sink your ears into. Words to carefreely join along with.

Welcome to this elite group, The Thrills. God knows where kids this age ever learned how to play like this - or even how a band from Dublin managed to score a magnu cum laude California sound.

Like David Gray's "Babylon", don't expect to even notice tracks like "Big Sur" the first time you hear it on the radio (unless your ear pricks up at that line about "Hey, hey, we're the monkeys"). At about the 3rd or 4th play, you'll start to pick up on it and by the 20th play, you'll be running out to buy the album.

And then it won't leave your CD changer for about a year.

My pick for Best New Act of 2003.

There is nothing about this recording that I don't like. The band is tight, and using a variety of instruments including synthesizers and banjo with a steel guitar sound drifting through the background of several songs, this Irish group can do the West Coast and Middle America scenes really well.

Much of the music is quiet and wishful, expressing a desire for the California scene: "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)", "Big Sur" and "Hollywood Kids" - "Those Hollywood kids have it made". That continues on "'Til the Tide Creeps In": "I was surfing this tidal wave/ of faded glories/ A San Diego pad./ and five, six years walked straight by me".

The yearning for the California sun is coupled with a tinge of regret for what is, best expressed in, "One Horse Town" and "Your Love is Like Las Vegas": "You're like Pete Best/ Bitter after all these years, just let it go."

The recording is for everyone. Older listeners will be reminded of other groups who could harmonize: Buffalo Springfield, Cryan Shames, Poco and the Beach Boys. For younger listeners this will be really fresh, expressing universal sentiments. Much of it is quietly contemplative although the band does rock out on a couple of numbers. It features a good booklet, great lyrics and excellent music. You have to like it.

The Thrills have a folk rock sound with a retro 70's approach which they seem to capture in their cover for 'So Much For The City'. It's like these guys sat around listening to alot of AM California rock from the late 70's, eg, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Breezy sounds with the occasional organ, mandolin/banjo, piano, and harmonica. Just think the lazy melodies of Belle and Sebastian, the acoustic/folk tendencies of Badly Drawn Boy, meets the last 2 CD's of The Delgados.

The Thrills are from Dublin ireland, but this album has a 1960's beach boys american rock feel to it. Every track is fantastic and so uplifting. Its the perfect album to drive to on a hot summery day. The stand out tracks are Santa cruz, Big Sur, Deckchairs and Cigarettes and just travlleing through.
I really cant recommend this album enough to anyone! Even my parents like it, now thats a triumph!