Music
Press
“A charming and individual debut of rare depth. There is a womb-like intimacy to their sound, centred around Crossley’s engaging and darkly humorous lyrics and the delightful cello sparring.” Clash Magazine May 2008 - Clash Magazine
“An excellent example of modern acoustica and a charming album of tasteful radio-friendly country-folk. The band embrace the laid-back easy rock that has made stars of Damien Rice and James Blunt. This could well be 2008’s Back To Bedlam.”
Rock ‘N’ Reel **** May/June 2008
- Rock 'n' Reel
“Morrissey meets Americana – superb songs with an irresistible English wit.” Total Guitar March 2008
- Total Guitar
“Furlined have woven their Smiths and Americana influences into an album of mid-tempo reflections and disarming ballads. Beguiling cello, warm riffs, wistful vocals and a catchy top line. Class.”
Musician July 2008
- Musician
“There’s no denying that Love Comes In Canisters is a memorably powerful album… if it were a drama it would be kitchen sink because this is an album that deals in stark reality.” Americana UK April 2008 - Americana.co.uk
“A swoon-worthy debut. Furlined’s songs celebrate distinctively ‘English’ preoccupations – quirkiness, wordplay, pastoral imagery, drink – all the while avoiding the obvious rhyme or melody in favour of something striking and playful.” Venue May 2008
- Venue Magzine
“Well-crafted and appealing songs with unmistakably British lyrics. Crossley’s voice is distinctive and evocative but it’s the warmth of the cello that really elevates this to a higher plain.” Guitar Techniques July 2008 - Guitar Techniques
“Neil Crossley’s voice could be the gold standard for the phrase ‘velvety smooth and rich’. Cranking up the gorgeousness levels even further is Tegan Thomas’s cello that provides depth to every track. A fine album. 7/10” Bristol Evening Post March 2008 - Bristol Evening Post
Fans of his old band Bush may be keenly awaiting Gavin Rossdale’s imminent solo debut, but he’s not the only former member of that multi-platinum outfit with new product on the racks.
Original Bush lead guitarist Nigel Pulsford, who exited in 2002, is back as producer, arranger and occasional guitarist for UK alt-rock outfit Furlined. The band, which issued its debut album Love Comes In Canisters in April in the UK via Concave Music/Pinnacle, is playing UK club dates in September.
Bristol, west England-based Furlined was formed by Pulsford’s long-time friend , singer/songwriter Neil Crossley, and classically-trained cellist Tegan Thomas in 2004, subsequently adding bassist Graham Dalzell and drummer Greg White.
Despite having a producer whose band’s US sales are close to 11 million albums, Crossley found record company interest hard to attract.
“I did approach a few record companies,” he says. “But the people I spoke to seemed so negative about the future of the industry, before they’d even heard the album, that I just thought ‘I’d rather focus my energies on getting the album released myself’.”
As a result he set up Concave to release the album and secured a distribution deal with Pinnacle.
Crossley, who has drawn comparisons with Richard Hawley and Damien Rice, is not signed for publishing and is currently seeking US licensing.
“To give yourself a chance in this business, you need to be obsessive,” Pulsford says. “When we started Bush, Gavin and I worked so hard. And that’s what Neil’s had to do too.”
Billboard June 2008
- Billboard
Discography
Album: Love Comes In Canisters
Tracks: (All tracks have streaming and are available on sites such as iTunes and 7 Digital. Telephone Box, There's Beauty In Improbable Things, The Last Muster, My Immortal Gain, Graceless and Indian Summer have received radio play.)
Telephone Box
There's Beauty In Improbable Things
What More Can We Say?
The Last Muster
Road To Searchlight
Graceless
My Immortal Gain
Dignified Hurt
Just Decoration
15 Seconds
Goodnight
Photos
Bio
Potent melodies and a large dose of sardonic wit lie at the heart of Furlined, a Bristol-based band formed by singer/songwriter Neil Crossley and cellist Tegan Thomas in 2005 following a chance encounter at an ante-natal clinic. After spending two years playing every gig they could in order to hone their distinctive sound, Furlined significantly enhanced their sound in early 2007 with the addition of bassist Graham Dalzell and drummer Greg White. In Autumn 2008 the band released their debut album 'Love Comes In Canisters' – produced by Nigel Pulsford, former guitarist with the band Bush – on their own Concave Music label.
'Love Comes In Canisters' features eleven self-penned songs that are quintessentially British, both in design and content. “Lyrically, we tend to focus on the quirks of British culture,” says Neil, “elevating and celebrating the ridiculousness of the everyday. The whole stripped-down sparseness of our sound seems to fit what we’re trying to achieve.”
Described by Total Guitar magazine as “Morrissey meets Americana” there is undoubtedly much here that reflects that particular songsmith’s wry take on life. At the heart of Furlined there is a rich, informed use of melody and a fine-tuned understanding of what makes a great pop song. Thomas’ swooning cello gently coats these songs in a delicious afterglow. The underlining message in many of these songs is the absurdity (and tragedy) of life’s rollercoaster. Tracks such as the sardonic 'Telephone Box', the achingly poignant 'What More Can We Say?' and the instantly engaging 'The Last Muster' evoke the likes of Edwyn Collins, the Divine Comedy and even The Lilac Time, while offering their own distinct take on life – a witty, sometimes brutally honest observation it is too.
In Autumn 2009, Furlined will release their second album Sovereign Ring, on Concave Music through Cadiz Distribution.
Neil Crossley has spent time playing bass with various indie rock bands both in the UK and US. He became a freelance journalist in the late 90s before being ultimately drawn back into the world of songwriting in 2005 full to the brim with ideas, experiences, and observations. Tegan Thomas is a classically-trained cellist who has been a member of the famed National Youth Orchestra and still plays in a string quartet.
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