London Records
Leed's rock band, A, have been slogging away on the live
gig circuit for the last ten years to good reviews but little
in the way of commercial success. With the release of their
third album, Hi-Fi Serious, all this looks set to change.
Easily their best record to date, the time spent in America
over the last couple of years has obviously influenced their
sound a great deal. Now on top of their usual mix of punk
guitars, electronic samples and melodies, they have thrown
in some serious US rock riffage and intensity to their sound
that demands your attention from the get go.
Nothing, is the first taste of the album and has a towering
guitar riff that screams for your attention and is impossible
to ignore, mix this in with the intense vocals and A have
come up with their finest three minutes yet. Already receiving
large amounts of airplay on both radio and MTV, Nothing, demands
your attention and shows that A are a force to be reckoned
with this year.
Jason Perry's vocals still have that nasal Perry Farrell quality
to them that has been a big part of their sound since day
one, but his vocal range has matured since the early days
to a much more natural sounding performance.
Something's Going On, keeps the guitar riffs firmly at eleven,
with a sound that isn't a million miles away from the Foo
Fighters, with all the melodic pop qualities that you'd expect.
Going Down, has a more mature sound, with the vocals appearing
more restrained and the guitars holding back slightly, but
all to the benefit of the song. Starbucks, is another example
of how A are going to be massive this year, sun drenched FM
radio vocals colliding head on with a great guitar sound that
is destined to infiltrate the radio waves over the next few
months. The Springs, continues in the same vein and is yet
another indication of the bands new found maturity, with restrained
vocals and melodic guitar play.
There is a slight downside to the album, tracks like 6'O Clock
On A Tube Stop, Took It Away and The Distance sounding a bit
dated and derivative. While they have their moments they just
don't live up to the higher standards of songs like Nothing
and Starbucks and lack the emergency and intensity.
A, have managed to come back on to the rock scene and really
liven things up, along with other recent British rock bands
like Lost Prophets and Hundred Reasons, A, look set to demand
your attention this year and really leave their mark. On the
whole this is a really exciting and in-you-face album, that
while let down by a few average sounding songs, looks set
to catapult the band into the limelight over the coming year.
7/10
A began in Leeds when the three Perry brothers, Adam, Jason
and Giles were born and started fighting over their favourite
records and computer games. When they were 13, they all moved
to Suffolk and met up with their future guitar player Mark
Chapman and bassist Stevie Swindon.
The first band they formed were called, Grand Design, but
this was short lived and they decided to re-locate to London
and call themselves, A.
It was after a gig at London's King's Cross Splash Club that
the band received a multitude of label offers, and decided
to go with London Records for their debut album. How Ace Are
Buildings, was recorded at the beginning of 1997, and by the
end of the year the band had received airplay on radio one
and were playing to sizeable crowds. 1997 also saw the inclusion
of new bassist, Dan P. Carter, who brought a harder edge to
their sound.
1998, saw the band record their second album, Monkey Kong,
and while they were playing headlining tours to great support,
chart success continued to elude them. Over the next few years,
A, went about touring Europe and America to great success
and in 2000 played Reading Festival to amazing support.
The third album, Hi-Fi Serious was released in March 2000
and the first single, Nothing has received major airplay on
both radio and MTV. The album was released to great critical
acclaim and commercial success.
A are:
Jason Perry - Vocals
Mark Chapman - Guitar
Dan P. Carter - Bass
Giles Perry - Keyboards
Adam Perry - Drums
HOW ACE ARE BUILDINGS (1997 - London Records)
Turn It Up
Foghorn
Cheeky Monkey
No. 1
Bad Idea
Sing-Along
Winter Of 96
Fistral
Out Of Tune
House Under The Ground
Five In The Morning
Ender
MONKEY KONG (1998 - London Records)
For Starters
Monkey Kong
'A'
Old Folks
Hopper Jonnus Fang
Summer On The Underground
Warning
If It Aint Broke Fix It Anyway
I Love Lake Tahoe
Don't Be Punks
Down On The Floor
Jason's Addiction
Miles Away
Getting Around
EXIT STAGE RIGHT (LIVE ALBUM) (2000 - London Records)
If It Aint Broke Don't Fix It
Monkey Kong
'A'
Old Folks
I Love Lake Tahoe
I'm Over It
Foghorn
HI-FI SERIOUS (2002 - London Records)
Nothing
Something's Going On
6 O'Clock On A Tube Stop
Going Down
Took It Away
Starbucks
The Springs
Shut Yer Face
Pacific Ocean Blue
The Distance
W.D.Y.C.A.I
Hi-Fi Serious
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