UXL

UXL @O2 ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM REVIEW FEBRUARY 2010
‘John is a born front man with an awesome voice that belies his age. . .UXL’s performance really pointed towards a big future, with music that would be suited to some large stadium gigs.’
MIDLANDS ROCKS
Full review: http://www.midlandsrocks.co.uk/reviews/live-rock-reviews/raemonn_academy2_26feb2010 - MIDLANDS ROCKS

UXL Can I Dream Again Mab Records

Fresh from a support slot on the latest Magnum tour, UXL release their long awaited debut album.

And the first thing you feel is the quality of the product - even the booklet is lovingly put together. But UXL aren't about the packaging. They're a rock band. A band influenced by rock heavyweights such as Zeppelin, U2, Maiden and the Peppers. None of this lightweight indie stuff that seems so prevalent at present.

They've got a great 'meaty' sound, delivering remarkably mature melodic rock, and in lead singer John Tierney they have a vocalist of rare talent.

The four piece - the Tierney brothers on vocals, guitar and drums with Dan Clark on bass -sound like a band who've worked the circuits for as long as some of the bands they've supported - like Magnum and Wishbone Ash. Clearly the band didn't waste this 'learning opportunity - looking, listening and absorbing.

As a result, the band have a remarkably polished sound for a band only 3 years old and it's easy to see why UXL are widely tipped to be one of the major rock breakthrough acts in 2007.

In truth they sound as if they have American roots - Can I Dream Again? has shades of Evanescence and would go down a storm Stateside.

Promised Land opens with atmospheric vocals in classic John Wetton style before exploding into a melodic but hard-hitting number somewhere between Free and Asia.

The 7 minute New Dawn Waiting is a rock epic with great riffs, great vocals, and great guitar playing underpinned by a rock solid rhythm section.

Those three tracks made up the band's taster EP and form the centrepiece of the album. The question in my mind, could they come with an album this good? And the answer is an emphatic, yes.

Intro shows the scope of their intent - laying down a cinematic soundscape that would not be out of place behind the opening credits of Terminator 4.

Stranger and Make It would be perfect on US FM soft rock radio, while This Life has structure reminiscent of Magnum's song writing style, and Stay Awhile would be the perfect number to close a live set.

Elsewhere, Change shows the band's versatility building from a slow moody opening complete with horns, through a Brian May-like guitar break, into an anthemic climax Metallica would be proud of.

UXL would probably be the first to admit they're not the finished article, but if Planet Rock and their peers would play more of this sort of stuff and less of their repetitive and predictable play list, the world would be a better place.
- Get Ready To Rock

'Can I Dream Again?' by the exceptional UXL is, without a shadow of a doubt, a mighty fine
piece of work. This beautifully packaged release is magnificence personified -quality from cover to cover and from the opening bars of the first track right through to its
closing bars over fifty-two minutes later, 'Can I Dream Again?' has everything - it really is a genuinely superb release that deserves massive success.

UXL comprise brothers John (vocals & guitar), PJ (lead guitar) and Paul Tierney (drums) and Dan Clark (bass & backing vocals). Together these four young guys have contrived to come up with a rockin' and rollin' album to numb the senses and set the nerve ends tinglin'.

Sitting somewhere within the wide expanses of indie rock and with hints of story-telling prog-rock, UXL show in no uncertain terms that 'indie' can still be innovative, meaningful and mature. UXL can run the gamut when it comes to composing and performing top notch songs; with something for most tastes but leaning quite heavily into the rock idiom, this intrepid foursome really get stuck into their work and make a bloody good fist of it (understatement or what?). UXL generally make a pretty 'big' sound but they can also do controlled minimalistic and beautiful semi-acoustic and just about everything in between. And it seems that, any way up, they give their absolute best at everything they do - UXL are the complete package and truly the real thing!'Can I Dream Again?' is every bit as good (and more!) as I expected it to be based on their earlier releases that I'd previously had the pleasure to review within these 'pages'.

The title track and 'Beautiful Today' indicated wondrous things and now UXL have managed to exceed my greatest and wildest expectations - 'Can I Dream Again?' is surely 'up there' with the best. UXL are young, good looking and obviously extremely talented -
there's not really much more that they want or need to compete at the highest and most exposed level. This band is special and they
must, must, must be on the verge of getting massive recognition and reaping the rewards for their hard work, superb musical expressionism and stunning composition.

It really don't get much better than 'Can I Dream Again?' by the brilliant UXL.

Magnificent stuff!!
- Toxic Pete Webzine

UXL are big on emotions, bigger on vocal harmonies and have a pretty massive pop rock production. . the act has become one of the most talked about new bands in the UK. - Metal Hammer

Birmingham band UXL is a fine-toned combo featuring three brothers and their mate Dan Clark. John Tierney has an excellent voice that manages to sound familiar at the same time as providing original character. Paul's drums are spot-on, but of course being a guitar mag, it was PJ's guitar that caught our attention: cutting,precise chord work, huge at times and airy when necessary. . .fine driving rock-pop with a hint of U2 about it.
- Guitar Magazine

John Tierney has an extraordinary blues drawl. . .worth keeping an ear out for THAT voice. - Channel 4

Stunning vocals, raw guitars and punchy drums. . .they capture the spirit of wide, sweeping accessible rock ideal for stirring festival audiences and contemporary radio listeners alike. . .this material could be massive Stateside, it is destined for major attention.
- Musician Magazine

A band destined for greatness. . .they have a massive sound, play remarkably mature melodic rock, and in 18-year-old singer John Tierney have a vocalist of rare talent. - Get Ready To Rock

UXL display songwriting abilities far beyond this young band's tender years, both in lyrical, musical content and structure - some bands never attain that level of professionalism and maturity after years of playing the circuit. This is a band worthy of your immediate attention!
- Black Velvet Magazine

Swaggering, anthemic rock with soaring vocals - BBC