Quietland

In the words of a now ageing magician with (at the time) a pretty hot wife, “You’ll like this… not a lot, but you’ll like it”. Manchester based Quietland have been around as a musical entity for knocking on ten years now and this is their debut full album release, and it’s not a bad little one at that.

Quite why it’s taken so long for them to get this opus out is unclear but I reckon it’s been worth the wait. The album consists of twelve pretty neat songs, all of which are produced and performed admirably. Think of a coming together of sounds you’d expect from the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and Porcupine Tree, and you’re almost there. As a five-piece, Quietland have all the ingredients needed to make some good tunes and they don’t disappoint here. In Matt Linley they have a vocalist who can deliver the goods and he brings all the songs to life. You’ll also notice that there are a variety of songs on offer on this album: heavy, where they need to create a more powerful image, quieter where thought and reflection are the order of the day, and ones that fall in between. Mixing the sounds up like this give this album depth and character and hopefully appeal to fans of many genres of music. In the short time that I’ve had this one, I’ve grown to like tracks like “Mitya’s Next Word” but with every listen I find more that makes this one a pretty decent release.

The fact that these guys (and gal) have, for the most part, been together for almost a decade shows that they are serious about what they do and with a bit of luck and the wind in the right direction, “Output 1” might just see them reap the rewards that they definitely deserve for the music created here. Very nice.

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Allan Bannerman
- Powerplay Magazine - March 2008

Quietland hail from deepest darkest Salford and have been working and writing together for the last ten years. They finally decided that it’s time the rest of the world got to hear what they’ve been up to during that time with the release of the full length ‘Output 1’ and it’s an interesting if not always instantly accessible piece of work.

Opening track ‘Noblesse Oblige’ is a fairly standard indie rock outing, it has the feel of Stateless or similar in that it has that big sounding break but it’s not the best or most memorable tune on offer here. ‘Mityas Last Word’ again has the big middle section, which grabs the interest but it’s pretty sparse on the way to it with the vocals being particularly exposed here and with their harsh delivery (courtesy of Matt Linley) it doesn’t always make for easy listening as he flits between styles akin to Muse and the Mars Volta.

It’s not until track three where ‘Cotton wool’ blends jerky rhythms with the first really catchy moments on the album that we get a glimpse of Quietland’s real potential. This just has much more of a groove about it than the opening tracks. ‘Shade of Black’ follows and is a mellower, acoustic track and is decent enough but despite some impressive Clannad style harmonies it lacks the big hook.

‘I’m Tired’ is where the Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson influence really comes through, sounding like it could have been lifted from ‘Stupid Dream’. It has a good flow about it and the quieter vocals work well alongside more lavish instrumentation. ‘Mityas Next Word’ keeps up the standard with a good, up tempo track that has a feel good vibe about it and more PT influenced arrangements mid way through, particularly with the heavy guitar part.

The oddly titled ‘Nai Stusay Bai Bai’ keeps the relaxed feel despite its busy verse and brings a return to the 80s Clannad harmonies, which is no bad thing and they work well here, ‘Nai Stusay Bai Bai’ forming part of a strong clutch of songs mid-way through. There is the odd slip and ‘Ambivalence’ for example, is decent but rather forgettable and it’s left to ‘Pale & Wired’ to bring things back on track with a good driving rhythm. Linley’s vocals do grate a little at times but then they work well at times too; closing track ‘Varnish’ is spoiled though as it’s gentle, lilting verse is forced into a loud and abrasive chorus. You just get the feeling that a second and more subtle vocal part would give greater contrast and a more even feel to the whole album.

All in all though Output 1 has enough of an indie feel to it to harness a section of that market and yet it follows distinctly in the footsteps of Blackfield in the more melancholy moments (‘Leviathan Grace’ perhaps the best example). There is a healthy backbone of solid material on offer here and whilst at times it meanders away from the path a little, it’s a solid platform on which to build and it will be interesting to see how they progress, presumably with Output 2.

Track Listing
01 - Noblesse Oblige
02 - Mityas Last Word
03 - Cotton Wool
04 - Shade of Black
05 - I'm Tired
06 - Mityas Next Word
07 - Nai Stussy Bai Bai
08 - Ambivalence
09 - Pale & Wired
10 - Leviathan Grace
11 - Shooting Into The Sun
12 - Varnish

- www.RoomThirteen.com

Manchester based Quietland are a special band, this is clear from the moment that the first track begins to play. Their sound is fresh yet familiar, with influences such as Jeff Buckley clearly recognizable. Quietland have perfected the art of drawing from their influences, managing to make them known but only in subtle tones that do not scream of a young child trying desperately to imitate their heroes.

What began as a studio project, has exploded into 'Output 1' their full length debut LP, and pushed them forward finalizing their live line up.

'Output 1' is bursting with pristine, well produced, and harmonious recordings, for an unsigned band to release an album of such quality and length is commendable. Quietland are certainly a talented band, and deserve positive notoriety, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.

The tracks on the album seem to move effortlessly between acoustic and more dominant electric sounds, although they largely sound quite gentle Quietland and capable of bursts of emotion, and it's refreshing to hear a band perfect these sounds.. With Quietland you have no sense of security, these talented musicians can take the auditory senses almost anywhere.


By: Goldie Stewart
- www.Subba-Cultcha.com

Two words – what an album! Quietland sound a little like MiM favourite Fine Lines at times, but they also have a decidedly different edge. In many ways, this can be taken as a sign that Manchester is slowly creeping away from buoyant indie bands in dusty warehouses and heading towards bigger gigs with younger, new fans. It may not be a bad thing.

Opener, Noblesse Oblige, is a stormer. We’ve not caught Quietland live as yet, but we imagine that this is an absolute belter when played out in front of their already-adoring public.

Track two, Mitya’s Last Word, is a strange ditty, and in some ways takes the pace out of proceedings after such an up-tempo opener, but it is still a very good track. Almost reminiscent of Muse or Radiohead, it is, again, not what you’d expect from a Manchester band, but the impassioned vocal gives it a real bite.

The third track on the disc, Cotton Wool, is our favourite track on the album. Matt Linley’s smoky vocal exquisitely follows a stunning, eerie opening, and the track ebbs and flows with gusto from then on. It’s dark, it’s creepy and it’s nothing short of exceptional.

Shade of Black follows, and, in keeping with the pattern set with the first two tracks, it is again a slow number. Unlike Mitya’s Last Word, however, this is a more acoustic number. It still edges into Muse-like territory, however, as Linley’s vocal again becomes angst-ridden and drawn out. In the case of Shade of Black, though, the vocal is absolutely beautiful.

I’m Tired is next up, and is our second-favourite song on the CD. By this stage in the album, it’s clear that the band are showing their range, and this really is quite an exceptional track. Vocally and musically brilliant, we couldn’t have been more impressed with this.

Mitya’s Next Word follows, and Linley again adopts his storytelling stance – although this time with a very different vocal. It’s more of a cousin than a sister to Mitya’s Last Word, however, as this is a much better, more entrancing track.

Nai Stusay Bai Bai comes next, and is a clever, emotive track that we absolutely adored. It has an inherent vulnerability that simply cannot be ignored, and is up there with the opener in the fight for the title of best track on the album

The next track on the disc, Ambivalence, is beautiful. It is the perfect blend of romance and cynicism, and Nick Cooper is absolutely unbelievable on the keys here. Equally good are Gareth Metcalf’s guitar work and Eddie Rayner’s drums. Again, Quietland shine here.

Pale and Wired follows, and is a return to the up-tempo pseudo-rock that the band seem to enjoy embracing from time to time. It is as loud and proud as Quietland get – and let us assure you that, with the speakers turned up and the world blocked out, this is pretty damn loud and proud.

From there, we get the grandiose Leviathan Grace, which is yet another brilliant number. Linley returns to his meandering, pained vocal style, and there are some beautiful harmonies here, too.

Next we are treated to the elegance and grace of Shooting into the Sun, which, to be frank, is something of a monster. It would sit just as well in a packed football stadium as it would in a dusty bar in the city centre, and it is the perfect advertisement for Quietland as the future of Manchester music.

Varnish follows, and is the track that closes the album. More downbeat than parts of the CD, but certainly no less good, it is another track that allows the band to bare their souls and to tell stories through their words and music, and, again, we get the perfect combination of big choruses and high impact.


In a nutshell, Output 1 is utterly brilliant. It ebbs and flows with a confidence normally only seen by signed bands, and features slick and modern production that perfectly fit the band’s modus operandi, and the fact that the CD looks so elegant in its cardboard sleeve is the perfect finishing touch. In so many ways, it is the best unsigned album we’ve heard in 2008, and we genuinely believe, after hearing this, that Quietland could be leading the way for Manchester music for years to come. *****
- www.manchesterismusic.co.uk