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Howl
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Quantity in Basket:
None
Price: $12.00
Artist:
mylittlebrother
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Based in Cumbria, UK, Mylittlebrother
makres their Big Stir Records debut with “Howl”, a record featuring 10 tracks that exemplify the melodic, harmony-laden and deeply-felt
literate pop for which the band is renowned.
It’s a much darker affair than 2014’s “If We Never Came Down”, but still
retains the band’s trademark ear-catching melodies and lush harmonies -
expanding them with the exuberant live sound that band had honed onstage in the
times leading up to the 2020 pandemic. Will
Harris, the band's charismatic frontman and primary songwriter, explains the
record's origins: “It’s an album, and by that I mean it’s planned as a musical
journey. It was largely written during a pretty rough period for me, and it reflects
that. It takes you through hope, joy,
anger, fear, loss and, ultimately, back to hope again, but all via catchy
tunes!” Will's talent for marrying
sweepingly memorable melodies with dry wit and genuinely visceral heartbreak
remains the cornerstone of the band, but “Howl” is very much a collaboration of
minds, as the songs are imbued with a new depth, dirt and cohesion by the band. “It’s been six long years since ‘If We
Never Came Down’ and I've been waiting anxiously for this followup. They don't disappoint, though this is a
darker album that makes the band even harder to pigeonhole. Harris's songs appear far more personal,
almost like the songwriting has been a release, an unburdening of the
soul. And though this makes the album
reflective in tone, it doesn't mean that the songs are dour, far from it. Harris's vocal is plain, but incredibly
effective. How do you describe a band that sounds like Lindisfarne one minute
and The Beautiful South the next?
There are hints of Country, Folk, Americana and West Coast Rock, but
essentially it is pop that holds it all together. Songs have unexpected twists. ‘Chicago’ is three songs in one and ‘The Start’
begins as a singer songwriter piano ballad and ends as an anthem. ‘Responsibility’ is pure pop, whilst ‘Janey’
is haunting West Coast Psych Pop with a country tinge. Howl is an awesome song,
great 70's Pop Rock. ‘Goldmine’ even has a disco riff, it's a bit like The
Eagles doing ‘Saturday Night Fever’ until the chorus just throws words at you
in a melody fest. ‘Howl’ isn't the
normal thing you expect to hear from a UK band. The album is a triumph, but may
take a little more time than usual to fully hook you. Beautifully played and
arranged with unexpected twists.” – IDontHearASingle.com EXCELLENT!!
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