The Library Suits

ANOTHER rip-roaringly good BandCrash vs Panic night is in store at Barhouse, Chelmsford this Thursday (August 6) with three excellent local bands taking to the stage.

Heading the bill are indie rock maestros The Library Suits who, in a little over a year, have established themselves as one of Essex's most popular bands. They've just recorded their debut album and are in prime form.

Support comes from the newly reformed Polychrome who returned to live action after 10 years with a blistering set at Bitterscene, Chelmsford last week.

There'll also be the live debut of enigmatic newcomers Hotel Deville who feature members of For The Great And The Good and a DJ set from mysterious collective Geek Pie.

Doors open at 8pm and entry is free. Find out more at the BandCrash Facebook group. - Essex Chronicle

SOMETIMES things just seem to fall into place.

That's certainly would appear to be the case with The Library Suits, one of the most popular new bands in Chelmsford who came together after the demise of F451.

In just a few months, The Library Suits have managed to build quite a following, seeming to appear almost fully realised out of nowhere.

It seems Jon Ruskin (vocals, guitar), Rich Olding (lead guitar, backing vocals), Matt Langley (bass, backing vocals) and Paul Davidson (drums) have that magic ingredient, the chemistry that just makes a band work straight away.


Jon explains how it all came together.

"The Library Suits came about through me and Matt really. F451 had taken a break and we thought we'd play some acoustic shows, so it just came from there."

It probably helped that the four of them had been in a band before. Prior to Jon and Matt joining F451, they'd been in Liquid Idolator with Rich and Paul, so it must have seemed natural to join forces again.

"We did some covers and some open mic nights," explains Jon. "We played some of Matt's songs initially and then we came up with some of our own stuff and thought why not try it with a full band.

"We asked Paul and Rich to join us and luckily they said yes!

"It all just fell into place really quickly. We all knew each other anyway and Rich and Paul picked it up really quickly – the music is not too complex!"

So how would Jon describe the music the Library Suits play?

"I suppose it falls into the British rock category. To us, its borne out of growing up on Oasis, the Manic Street Preachers through to the likes of Maximo Park and even Lostprophets."

Of course, you'll be able to hear for yourselves what the Libary Suits are like at BandCrash, where the band will also be dishing out their new CD. Featuring eight tracks, it was recorded over a week in September and the band are really pleased with the results – especially as they can now count Alex Zane as a fan.

Next up for the foursome is the recording of a special Christmas single this month.

"It's just a festive, tongue-in-cheek thing," says Jon. "It'll be slightly camp. Think Slade! It's just a bit of fun. We'll put it up on MySpace and be giving it out at gigs."

www.myspace.com/thelibrarysuits - Essex Chronicle

ONE of Essex's most popular bands The Library Suits release their new album suffer:recover this month and hold a launch party for it at the BandCrash vs Panic night at barhouse, Chelmsford on Thursday, November 12.

Darryl Webber talked to singer/guitarist Jon Ruskin, bassist Matt Langley, guitarist Rich Olding and drummer Paul Davison about each track to find out what it takes to put an album together.

The foursome have only been together for around 18 months but in that time have built up a devoted following and this weekend travel to Liverpool to record an appearance on the Hollyoaks Music Show.

Everything for Sale

Matt Langley: It's about people who have the ability to keep changing themselves, musicians who change with the fashion, and how cynical they can be.


Jon Ruskin: It's definitely our most edgy, metal song.

ML: It's a bit Metallica in a way. Rich is a big Metallica fan and we're all into Biffy Clyro.

Rich Olding: It works perfectly as an introduction to the album.

Jeremy Kyle's Inner Valkyrie

ML: This is a direct reference to Jerry Springer the Opera – Jerry Springer has an 'inner valkyrie' in the show. I watched it and felt it was relevant to Jeremy Kyle. It seems ridiculous that his show is meant to help people but everything always ends up in a fight.

You Don't Have To Be A Wizard

ML: The phrase was lifted from a well-known advert for a price comparison website.. but it's more about people who get carried away with stuff, about the way they look and who they are.

JR: The recording was fairly straightforward but in terms of what it represents, this is an important song for us.

ML: This turned things around for us as a band, it's what we needed to do.

JR: I remember being in the car with Matt and saying "have we reached a plateau, is this it?" Then we wrote Wizard, October in The Theatre, Jeremy Kyle and Everything For Sale and it saved things.

RO: We'd got to the point where there wasn't that feeling of adrenaline at the end of practice, but we got that back with the new songs.

JR: Those new songs felt more edgy, like we had the basis for an album. It was a big relief.

RO: I think we were perceived as a bit too nice before that.

Brackets

RO: It's nice to go from Wizard to this. It started off a bit like U2, with the delay pedal.

JR: Matt had the chords. We just played them through and I started singing something to it. It's about not wanting to get old.

October in the Theatre

ML: This is probably the best example of how different what we're doing now is from the first EP.

JR: It's still within what people would consider to be our boundaries.

ML: It still has Library Suits melodies. It's kind of introspective.The lyric content was inspired by the Russian Revolution and the Constructavist artwork and propaganda that went with it. One of the leading playwrights of the time said "we need an October in the theatre". It felt like a good parallel for the band, it struck a chord with me.It's actually one of the quickest songs we've written, we did it at one practice and it's not changed since.

JR: It's unique for us – the verse is very riff-based, stripped back with chopping drums. It's very direct and to the point.

S.O.S

JR: We had the lyrics from Matt with the chords already on them. We had the chord progression but it was very difficult to write as a band song. It was written on an acoustic so it suited that better.The album title suffer:recover is about going through hard times and this is a turning point into the 'recover' phase of the album. It's more optimistic.

Ignore Your Eyes

JR: In terms of the feel of the rest of the album, this is a lot more optimistic. Despite the lyrics, the music is really radio-friendly. We played this at our first gig.

Paul Davidson: It's an old song. We didn't play it for a while but we never ditched it.

ML: It's got a very poppy riff. As the title suggests, it's about people needing to categorise, to put things in a box.

28 Minutes

ML: We're all really into comedy and this is about sitting in front of the TV watching The Mighty Boosh and everything being brilliant.The song has been around for a while but it was too late for our first EP.

PD: I'm not really a massive Boosh fan like the others, so my 28 Minutes would be with Peep Show.

The Young Know Nearly All There Is To Know

ML: This was written in response to people who attacked the ambiguous nature of our lyrics. So in response, this is one of our most ambiguous songs.

JR: It's probably my favourite song on the album. It's the last full band song on the album and it feels very epic and optimistic.

ML: We had to piece this together from a few different ideas.

JR: I've got a lot more faith in us now, to be able to bring songs together. We've done it a few times now, we know how to make it work.

RO: We all trust each other.

JR: We've all got roles in the band, we all just let each other get on with their own thing and it seems to work.

It Starts And EndsThis is an acoustic track, it's meant to feel like a retrospective of the album. The album is an emotional rollercoaster and this is looking back on it. It's all stripped back to just two acoustic guitars and bass.

ML: It's kind of going back to how we started as a band, when we just used to play acoustics.

PD: We turned off the amps and realised how it should sound.

JR: I don't really know what it's about. Someone could take the lyrics as being triumphant or reflective. It's about standing back and questioning things. - Essex Chronicle

When you start the year feeling a wee bit lost, and end it by appearing on Channel 4, something is obviously going right, and such is the case for Chelmsford based band The Library Suits. In the last few months they’ve released a single, a full length album, and appeared on The Hollyoaks Music Show, as one of the final nine unsigned bands competing for a performing slot on the mighty Hollyoaks itself!! Our writer Rich, and his bandmates Paul, Jon, and Matt, are busy bees then, but that didn’t stop me tracking them down for a Q&A session to celebrate their second single release of the year, the excellent ‘Christmas Retreat’. Read and enjoy everyone!
2009

1. How do you feel 2009 has gone for The Library Suits?
2009 has been amazing really. We started the year as a band with some hopes and aims, and have finished it far ahead of where we thought we might be! To think this year consisted of an NME gig, a single release, an album release, a Barfly gig, a full page spread in the local paper, and to cap it all a TV performance on Saturday morning on T4! The good side of it has been amazing! There have been low sides though. We were a bit lost as to where the band wanted to be before we finished writing the album, and it all nearly fell apart then, plus we’ve played some truly demoralising gigs, but on the whole its been fantastic. A rollercoaster of emotion you might say.
2. Do you have a favourite gig?
Matt – Album launch show
Rich – Album launch show
Paul – Album launch show
Jon – Barfly gig.

3. What would you like to tell us about your singles and album release from this year?

Album Artwork
The single ‘You Don’t Have To Be A Wizard’ was a modest download success, peaking just outside the HMV top 100, and just about making the top 10 of the Indie download charts!
The album ‘Suffer:Recover’ is a full 13 tracks, we’re really really pleased with it (a big thank you to Neak for this!!)
The Xmas song ‘Christmas Retreat’ is available from December 7th. It’s an old fashioned Christmas song. Bells, trumpets, sing-a-longs! We feel its got everything a Christmas song should have!!!! So buy it from the 7th December!!!!! All are available on I-TUNES, hmv.co.uk, play.com, napster, 7digital and also you can listen to it on Spotify.

4. Please compile your 2009 music playlist?!
In terms of new music in 2009 there have been a few stand outs! Biffy Clyro’s ‘Only Revolutions’ is a big favourite. ‘Journal for Plague Lovers’ is an outstanding record also. Offerings from Jamie T, Marmaduke Duke and Paramore have kept us entertained. We’ve also exhausted nearly everything from the 80’s on Spotify (power ballads included) Blur, ACDC, Gaslight Anthem, Journey, Muse, Green Day, Michael Jackson, Magistrates….the list goes on!
5. Name something new that you have learnt or tried this year?
Rich ate crackling for the first time and didn’t like it! Matt tried to be Murray Hewitt for a week and failed! Paul tried to shake his addiction to Mums and failed. Jon tried to do sport and failed. As a band we tried to drink 60 big delicious beers in 1 night and failed. We did
however drink 59, so we’re pleased with that!! (We can just imagine the hangovers!!!)
Christmas/New Year

Jon, Rich, and Matt Acoustic At Barhouse, Chelmsford
1. Please introduce us to your Christmas Song, I’ve heard it’s rather good?!
Christmas Retreat has all the traditional elements to a xmas song. It’s a party song, a feel good song, and has nearly every stereotypical Christmas song trait in it….It won’t let you down!
2. What do you think of the other Christmas Songs out there?
We like the older, more upbeat songs – Wizard, Slade, Elton John, The Darkness etc, but a special mention has to go to Last Christmas, and Fairytale of New York which are ace!
3. Music.co.uk have heard a rumour you like cake, so we’re giving you a Christmas Cake to decorate. What would you put on it?
The TLS xmas cake would be layered in sweets, and topped off with probably another cake!! (Ed: Yum!)
4. What would be your ultimate Christmas/New Year party?
The ultimate New Years party would be hosted by Noel Edmonds, with Alan Partridge as the guest of honour! We reckon Queen playing live and also more balloons and alcohol then any other party before! (Ed: Can we come?!)

5. The games normally come out when boredom sets in at Christmas, so what are you guys best at?
TLS would take on anyone at Scrabble, Jenga, Bop It and Tiddley Winks!
The Band

1. Which member of the band is:
a) Most likely to forget their words or music? Matt when drunk!

Matt and Paul Live @ Saint Fm
b) The most stylish? Rich
c) Has the best sense of humour? Jon
d) Has the worst habits? Paul (spends a lot of his time being a cockney…very bad habit indeed!)
e) Takes the longest getting ready? None of us really. But we are ALWAYS late for everything!
2. The Library Suits win some money to spend in a department store, what do you buy with the cash?
We’d buy a new table for band meetings, 4 new black t-shirts for gigs, and a massive packet of tea bags!!
3. Are there any TV shows or characters, that WOULDN’T appear in your songs?
Before he was our mentor on Hollyoaks The Music Show, we would have definitely mentioned Josh Ashworth, however now we know him as Sonny, we think its best to spare him!!
4. I’ve heard you warm up with a Girls Aloud riff, anything else you know the music to, which perhaps you shouldn’t? a guilty pleasure maybe?
We don’t feel guilty about playing any music; however we do often play Beat It, Word Up, More than a Feeling, and anything by Rage or Green Day, just to pass the time!

5. What are your guilty pleasures on facebook/online?
Again there is nothing we look at on the internet that makes us feel guilty!
6. I believe there are football fans in your midst, time to compile your own fantasy football team!
As we support Liverpool, Man U and Tottenham between us, we thought we’d make up a team of those players:
Keeper – Ray Clemence.
Defenders – Jamie Carragher, Alan Hanson, Ledley King, Denis Irwin.
Midfield – Steven Gerrard, Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne, Glen Hoddle, Ryan Giggs.
Strikers – Eric Cantona and the legend Jonnie Wark.
7. Finally, we like to give every act featured the chance to leave a message for all the people that will be reading about them soon.
As a band we want to say a sincere THANK YOU to everyone who supported us this year; all the people who came to the gigs, brought the CD’s, downloaded the single, helped us with promotion! God only knows where we’d be without you…..!
We’ll be back in 2010 with new stuff, hopefully a new album, but until then Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and for God’s sake buy ‘Christmas Retreat’ on Monday 7th Dec……….
If this interview has sparked your interest in the band, then why not head on over to www.myspace.com/thelibrarysuits and find out more, or download a copy of Christmas Retreat now from all good download stores!

Read more about christmas 2009 by www.music.co.uk
- http://www.music.co.uk/xmas-09/christmas-interview-library-suits.html - music.co.uk

When I was younger, Rock/Indie/Alternative were dirty words to me, and all my commercial/pop ears heard were samey music, unimpressive/shouty vocals, attitude, and an overall sound that made me wince with distaste. Today though, things are different. There are some great bands out and about, some of which have a tasteful pop/rock leaning, while others are embracing indie/rock in an easier to listen to, more melodic way. There are acts in both these genres that can really sing too. With all this in mind, I slip the debut album from Chelmsford based four piece The Library Suits into the player.

The first thing you hear is footsteps echoing down a corridor, moving ever closer to the music. A door opens to welcome you into the world of The Library Suits, and there’s a short burst of the band playing their song ‘It Starts And Ends’. It’s an intro that is pure genius in my opinion.

Suffer: Recover then continues with a mix of ‘album tracks’, short samples, and some very strong potential hit singles. After a first listen, I did wonder how well all the pieces of the jigsaw fit together as a cohesive album, but after several plays I quite enjoyed the twists and turns.

Listen out for two versions of the song they have randomly called ‘Brackets’. The first is a toned down instrumental teaser that leads nicely into the full blown band version. It’s cheeky, youthful, and has a ‘party animal not wanting to grow up, and take responsibility story’ that’s easy to relate to. The drum rhythms on this track standout, and there’s some funky guitar jams dotted around the other 13 tracks on this album too.

Also listen out for the refreshing piano sample of ‘Vultures’, which turns out to be a segment of their song ‘October In The Theatre’. The full length version of this track is a good example of dark/power rock, though it’s a little bit repetitive for me, and the shouty/growl at the end dents the overall effect a bit. Apart from that I can’t really fault too much about this album, there’s just places where to me the music isn’t quite as smooth, or the guitar is overpowering the vocal a bit.

There are three songs/potential hits that I immediately warmed too, and put on repeat on this C.D. First up is Jeremy Kyle’s Inner Valkyrie’, a song with a very catchy intro, a credible commercial edge, and some very astute lyrics. Then there was the anthemic ‘28 Minutes’ and acoustic track ‘It Starts And Ends’. The former is definite sing-a-long material, while the latter showcases their impressive acoustic abilities. ‘It Start’s And Ends’ is also quite moving, though needed more group vocals. A peaceful, chill out way, to finish the album.

Overall, these guys certainly seem to know their riffs, chords, and rhythms, and I really enjoyed some of their lyrics too. Every song has a story to tell, and their lyrics seem to get right to the heart of every one. It might sound like they’ve swallowed a dictionary and TV guide at the same time, but it works! This is a band that can cross between the alternative/commercial markets with relative ease. They will have you tapping your toes one minute, smiling the next, and reflecting on modern life in between. They like to surprise the listener as well, with their short instrumental samples, and impressive acoustic breaks.

As with any album, there were some things I enjoyed more than others, and a few things I would polish up, but that is the nature of things when you’re a music reviewer. Everyone has their own tastes and opinions. It’s a great album though,
so if you don’t mind, I think I’ll leave you all to check out www.myspace.com/thelibrarysuits, and go and sing along to some of my favourite tracks. After all, if they’re stuck in my head, I should really make the most of it!

The Library Suits Debut Single ‘You Don’t Have To Be A Wizard’ is available now from I-Tunes and HMV.com.
Suffer:Recover will be available via download and physical purchase from November 12th. - music.co.uk

I’m finding myself lately, reviewing albums by bands I haven’t heard of. Normally, I see a name of a band I don’t know and I’ll Google it, maybe watch a video on YouTube or MySpace and probably be influenced by more than just the music.

The trouble here and now is, I haven’t got an internet connection at the moment. This means I can only listen to the promo I’ve been given to review.

But that doesn’t really matter for The Library Suits, because they’ve got me from the first listen. A band or artist makes a name for themselves by connecting in some way to their audience and their music becomes a soundtrack to our lives.

The Library Suits have this ability. Suffer; recover is up to the neck in passionate songs that suck you in from the first guitar chord. Songs that remind me of the American Emo movement, but there are reminiscent of European bands like Germany’s Fury in the Slaughterhouse or the UK’s Immaculate Fools.

The Library Suits are certainly all about the songs and if you like me, are the kind of person that wants their music to mean something, then this band should be in your playlist with five stars next to their name.

All I need to do now is visit a friend with internet so that I can Google them… Check out their page on MySpace BTW. - musicreviewunsigned.com

Over the last nine weeks, a varied mix of surpreme unsigned talent has been taking to the stage in fictional Hollyoaks Nightclub The Loft. Each band has been mentored by a member of the Hollyoaks cast, who has been campaigning for his or her act to win! It’s been a really interesting nine weeks, so congratulations to all concerned! But now it’s time to get down to business!

We are backing The Library Suits 100%, and yes we may be a little bias as our writer Rich is lead guitarist, but we also happen to think they produce some pretty damn good indie/rock tunes. If you’d like to join the cause and help us support The Library Suits, then we would really appreciate it, as would the band.

You can vote online between today (12th) and the 16th of December, with the winner being announced on Saturday 19th.

Voting involves a very painless sign up to the Channel 4 Website, and that is all. Then your all set to cast your vote! Click Here to visit the voting page, or Click Here for The Library Suits Myspace, where you can watch a video of their performance on Episode 7 of the Hollyoaks Music Show, and listen to their other songs.

Should they win, they will perform on a future episode of Hollyoaks. Every vote counts, so tell all your friends, and get voting! - music.co.uk

The Library Suits were a smart looking bunch, all ties and braces. I felt even more ashamed of my unkempt appearance than normal, and skulked near the back in case they saw me and gave me a telling off from the stage.

Luckily the hall was filling fast, and by the time the set began I was able to get a bit nearer, hiding behind two taller friends. The Library Suits range from chiming indie with more balls, to sounding like the Stereophonics and The Manics. Only not preaching. The Manic Street Huggers perhaps? The Suits sounded bigger than when I’ve seen them before, the large stage giving extra separation to the tight guitars and letting the bass cut through. The vocals were full of hench honesty, and even when hearing the new songs for the first time it’s like you already now them. This is a band that really stick in your head.

London Blackmarket play a set of soul and blues tinged indie. There are a lot of oh whoo whoo moments, veering dangerously towards K**s*r Ch**fs territory, but they come out the right side. There’s plenty of sing-a-long moments and… I’ve just realised that their singer sounds like Rod Stewart.
In fact, London Blackmarket sound like the Small Faces. Awesome! How did I not realise that before?

Anyways, the band have a rhythm breathing dragon for a drummer, and his fat fills keep the crowds attention even during a lengthy Led Zeppelin style jam towards the end of the set. The songs are full of crowd pleasing hooks, and their singer cuts his own hair. What’s to not love?

After the impassioned performance from the Library Suits, and the confident swagger of London Blackmarket, Jersey Budd felt a little flat. Maybe it was an off night. Maybe the excitement of Chelmsford had exhausted the band, or there’d simply been too much bud for Jersey Budd?

After good reviews in the national press and a listen at Myspazz they seemed like the perfect compliment to the other two bands, but the set felt tired, almost grudging, and the crowd had noticeably thinned by the end. It felt a bit of a let down, but I’d just enjoyed two great performances by the Library Suits and London Blackmarket and still walked away a happy bunny. - Panic! Magazine

As I?wake up on a Monday morning in a sleepy Welsh village, that is not the first thing I?expect to hear. But it is nice to know that pants are required for rocking.

I?am in the town of Brynamman, in the Brecon Beacons just north of Swansea, where The Library Suits are busy recording their latest album.

The acommodation is a series of matresses and two sofas in the converted attic, shared with an Xbox and seven cats. When I?first arrive I am also confronted by a dog that could easily be confused with a bear. Whilst the scenery is nice and the animals are, well, entertaining, I wonder why the band travelled all this way.

“We go to Wales because of Neak [Menter, a producer the band have always used previously], but it also acts as a nice break” the lead singer, Jon Ruskin, tells me.

“We just get away from everything; no distractions from work or other commitments etc, so it gives us a decent chance to concentrate on what we’re doing.”

It is certainly a fantastic place to get away. Brynamman is an idyllic setting, nestled at the base of the Black Mountain and a stone’s throw away from some amazing peaks in the Brecon Beacons; it is a far cry from Chelmsford high street.

“It’s definitely a good idea to get out of Essex” Jon says. “The area of Wales we’re in is so picturesque and beautiful that it seems to have a calming effect on us because recording is pretty stressful. It’s also nice to get to Neak’s because we can just sit around playing Xbox and drinking beer while we leave our songs in his more than capable hands!”

Neak has produced The Library Suits since their first release, …Because It’s Somewhere to Be, and I?wonder how much influence he has had on their sound.

“The ‘sound’ of the band is something we’ve spent a lot of time working on in practice and stuff, but in terms of the recorded sound, it’s pretty much all Neak. We give him the bare bones and his production really brings the songs to life. I personally couldn’t imagine recording with anyone else. In a word, he’s vital to our sound. Or crucial. That’s better. Vital is a bit desperate…”

The Suits have come on leaps and bounds since that first CD. ?They’ve been on TV, on Channel 4, played some major gigs and found their sound gradually maturing into what they are recording at the moment.

“The music on this album is a bit more relevant than previous offerings, but still very much TLS.” Jon tells me.

“There are aspects of it that make it similar to suffer:recover, but it’s a progression. An album should be 45 minutes or so of ‘something’ rather than ten sections of four or five minutes, and we’ve tried to do that with this album. It’s got all the usual TLS tricks but it feels like we’ve grown into ourselves this time.”

The recording days all follow a rather similar pattern. It tends to be a late-ish start, between 10am and midday, before going into the studio. Recording is done between intermittent bouts of chemical warfar from the rear end of Coffee, the bear-dog, whilst playing some retro Game Boy and staring at the almost impossibly cute kitten Tim, short for Tim.

Once that’s finished it’s back upstairs for the serious stuff, beer and Xbox. Fifa 11 is the game of choice, and a team effort sees a fair amount of success over the course of the recording process, although I?am not sure if one Suit stands out more than others.

“Rich has the skills” Jon says, very amicably, “but it’s very close… In only a week between us we’ve guided Ipswich to the premier league, Villa to second in the premiership, Sunderland to the league cup and England to the world cup.”

“Not much between us, but we’d kick any other bands ass at it I’d say….”

Maybe this summer we’ll see a Panic Band Fifa World Cup?

Keep your eyes peeled for details of the new album, and look out for a Library Suits gig near you soon.

www.thelibrarysuits.com
www.facebook.com/neakmenter - Panic! Magazine

It might be doing things a bit back to front, but when you discover a band a late in the day, it can take a while to catch up with things. So after being suitably impressed with their second release ‘Suffer: Recover’ in 2009, I thought it was about time I checked out their first, the 8 track ‘Because It’s Somewhere To Be’.

The album begins with the high energy, sing-along feast that is ‘Modern Life Is A Speeding Bullet’, a song that is a frequent addition to the bands live set, thanks to its anthemic qualities, catchy intro, and strong bridge. This is swiftly followed by the interestingly titled ‘Heirs To The Atmosphere’, and although there is the typical rock band reference to alcohol in the lyrics, the overall story stands up strong and original. My only qualm with this track, is that although the backing vocals, and lead vocal combine really well at the start of the song, there is a little too much going on towards the end, and it all clashes. But the slightly noisy ending to that track is dissolved in the strength of ‘Ten Years’. Another song that stands out for its original lyrics, also for it’s smooth drum rhythms, and vocal depth; it would have made a good single release, as would the following track ‘Long Division’. This song has an atmospheric, well arranged piano intro, and is a nice contrast to the heavier guitars on some of the other tracks, as is the song ‘Suitably Numb’. A haunting melody, atmospheric vibe, and choral style interlude sets this up as a cinematic, slightly space-age track, which would’ve had many possibilities for a video.

Coming back down to earth with a bump I arrived at ‘46XY’, which is probably the one weak spot on the release. The arrangement and lyrics both seemed a bit laboured at the start, but the melody did become stronger as the song moved on. But the CD ended on a high note with ‘Things Fall Apart’ and ‘Stop Breathing And Fall’. Soaring choruses, a light vocal touch, and in the case of ‘Stop Breathing And Fall’ an acoustic melody full of charm.

A great way to end the CD, and although in some ways this release does expose a band on a learning curve, it also shows another side to them, which the heavier, fuzzier, edgier rock of ‘Suffer: Recover’ can mask. This band can do soft, subtle, acoustic tracks, they can do atmospheric indie, and they can give us an interesting lyrical story to listen to as well, which adds a different dimension to their sound. Having heard both their albums now, I think it’s safe to say it’ll be interesting to hear what they do with any new material, and what direction they head in. As long as they continue to embrace their outstanding acoustic roots, reduce the shouty vocals in some of their tracks, and continue to develop their overall songwriting skills, I think the future will be an interesting one. - music.co.uk