LIAM GRIFFIN

Time Off Magazine
December 15th, 2010
Liam Griffin – ‘Between The Colours’ (Mailbox Records)
A long time coming, the debut album from Liam Griffin doesn’t exactly pick up where his long-flogged Pictures EP left off, more so it forges a further path for the talented Brisbane singer-songwriter. It’s not exactly ground-breaking listening by any means but it is a damn solid effort from an artist clearly with his finger on the commercial pop/rock pulse. Lyrically, Griffin stands tall, holding his heart in his hand proudly for the world to see, while sonically he falls somewhere between Jeff Buckley and Eskimo Joe – a nightmarish analogy on paper, but in theory, it works.

Certainly the opening three numbers mirror different aspects of the aforementioned Perth trio – The Shutters sways about perfectly introducing Griffin’s trademark trumpet into the mix nice and early while A Distant Memory is a radio-ready slice of pop/rock that could slip effortlessly into general programming tomorrow, and I Started Saying It Too laces strings with a heartfelt lyric of longing. I Want You might be somewhat of a misstep in the fact that it’s dangerously close to Buckley/Shudder To Think’s I Want Someone Badly, however, the execution is flawless and shows off Griffin’s more soulful side.

Between The Colours is a fine debut displaying Griffin’s prowess when not only making his way around a song but also helming a confident production that strings the whole bundle together into a tidy, comfortable package. As a debut, it presents the first big step in quite a promising career, providing Griffin with the ammunition required to truly find his own voice. You have to wonder how far he could take this with a little label push. 3.5/5
Ben Preece - Time Off Magazine

Rave Magazine
February 1, 2011
Liam Griffin – Between The Colours
INDIE RELEASE OF THE WEEK
Brisbane Troubadour plugs in
An earnest acoustic strummer (albeit usually aided by assorted effects pedals) in the past, local lad Liam Griffin has his Telecaster firmly strapped on for the majority of Between The Colours. The singer-songwriter’s first recording since 2007’s well-received Pictures EP, the album was produced by Brisbane name Stephen Bartlett (Skinny Jean, Mr. Maps, etc.) and mixed by Peth’s Andy Lawson (Basement Birds, Eskimo Joe, End of Fashion), fitting squarely into the accessible guitar-rock domain. Augmented by sonorous horns, opener The Shutters is a stately, slowly unfolding acoustic ballad; A Distant Memory features a Powderfinger-sized chorus; Starry Night practically comes from the U2 songbook and I Want You is an old-school, Lennon-esque soul-rock cut complete with R&B guitar solo. An owner of a formidable set of pipes as well as a deft axeman, Griffin rasps, emotes and testifies in vintage ‘heart full of soul’ fashion as his crack band – including local drumming ace Chris O’Neill – powers behind him. There are some lovely sonic brushes throughout, the lengthy Adore even delving into Dappled Cities/Seabellies territory with it’s horn-aided instrumental coda and the closing Times Like These making excellent use of piano/guitar atmospherics. For those who like their radio-ready pop-rock with a hint of grit and a touch of finesse, Between The Colours amply delivers on both counts.
Denis Semchenko - RAVE Magazine

The Courier Mail
January 29, 2011
Liam Griffin – ‘Between The Colours’
It’s the full-colour, widescreen treatment for this debut album. People who have been watching the Brisbane band scene in the past few years are already aware of Griffin’s soulful voice. But this shows his songwriting coming into full bloom and an artist with the confidence to really stretch out musically.
The first tune that shows how much he has to offer is the pulsing rocker A Distant Memory, bright and melodic and somewhere in the same territory as the recent music from Crowded House. I Want You slows down the pace but cranks up the energy: it’s not The Beatles song of the same name but a ‘60s-style blues-rocker that provides the foundation for Griffin to show off his powerful voice as well as some off his stinging lead guitar work.
Elsewhere, songs like The Shutters and The A.M Blues have the slow-swirling grandeur associated with the atmospheric Brit rock of bands like Elbow and Coldplay, while the anthemic concluding track Times Like These follows that sound back to the source, Pink Floyd in their mid-‘70s pomp. The album’s centrepoint is So Much To Say, which builds from a gentle whisper to a throbbing finale of throaty organ and soaring vocals across eight minutes. Griffin is quite an all-rounder – he plays trumpet and invites a string section on board for the album’s other epic orchestral-offering, Adore. And the sonic quality provided by Brisbane engineer and studio owner Stephen Bartlett is absolutely world class. 4/5
Noel Mengel
- The Courier Mail

Here we have the first truly great local EP for the year. Brisbane lad Liam Griffin has produced one hell of a fine record that surely must have been one of the reasons behind Billboard naming this city a hotspot in 2007. From the lush string orchestration and stunning vocals of opener 'Lost in a Rose Garden' (which echoes the romantic intimacy touched on during Silverchair's Neon Ballroom-era) to the lingering trumpet sounds of 'Phrygid Zone' - a haunting track that wouldn't be out of place in the Mulholland Drive soundtrack - Griffin shows an outstanding ability to create richly evocative songs. Don't be surprised if 'Until You Fall' (at least) is picked up by national broadcasters.
- Time Of Magazine

Emerging local singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Liam Griffin has hit his stride with his new single ‘Until You Fall’, revealing the depth of his impressive talents. An epic four minutes that outdoes the likes of Coldplay and Snow Patrol for grandiose guitar/piano pop balladry, ‘Until You Fall’ is delivered with a soaring vocal that is complimented by textured instrumentation, the majority of which is, like usual, played by Griffin himself. The song has already been licensed to a popular television program in the US, indicating that Griffin likely will not remain one of Brisbane’s best-kept secret for much longer. - Time Off Magazine

Liam Griffin's 5 track EP comes straight out of the heart of Brisbane and with melodic vocals seamlessly trailing over an immense string section, it's easy to see that this boy has quite a future ahead of him. Occasionally the tracks do slip into a slightly melancholic state, but they are then brought back to life by the perfect musical composition that Griffin obviously has a natural flair for. The EP is definitely worth a listen, particularly for the beautiful use of horns on track 4, creating a film-noir sensation that had me searching for a crime to solve somewhere in 1933. Look out for more good things from Mr. Griffin in the near future.
Samuel Curtis
- Scene Magazine

BROAD CANVAS by Noel Mengel

YOU never know when inspiration is going to strike. Brisbane songwriter Liam Griffin was leafing through the family photo album when the idea came to him for his song Pictures, one of the tunes on his debut EP of the same name.

Next he's working on a film clip around that concept and wants to include family snaps contributed by the public that will be part of the video's "family album". Griffin came to attention as the guest vocalist on the album Shipping Secrets, by Brisbane electro duo Fagan, but Pictures reveals a broad canvas from a songwriter who is just as at home on trumpet and keyboards as a guitar.

Lost In a Rose Garden and Until You Fall are anthemic pop tunes with something in common with Coldplay and later Silverchair.

Phrygid Zone takes another route, into film-score territory, with Griffin's elegant trumpet lines swirling out across a windswept tundra. And all those elements gel amid the Pink Floyd-ian grandeur of The Beginning of the End.

That's a lot of territory on one EP, which augurs well for a debut album. Griffin is planning an EP launch in May, before heading for Canada to perform at the North by North East Festival.

To hear Griffin's music or contribute email photos and postcards for the Pictures video, go to www.myspace.com/liamgriffin.

- The Courier Mail