Music Review - Ukmusicsearch - Reviews
Welcome to the Music Review - Ukmusicsearch - Reviews
Album review
SPERRY ALAN - ALBUM-A
"A slow building groove that hits glorious peaks of heart-warming
intensity amidst its more introspective moments, this is the kind
of stuff that bands build careers on"
| Review
Control |
|
|
|
There's a certain otherworldliness
to the sound of Sperry Alan, a reverb heavy guitar sting that
conjures images of big empty white rooms with the band sitting
at the centre - the sound echoing all around them. AGELESS,
where latter day Radiohead meets Pearl Jam, beginning with
a distant guitar riff that leads into a shuffling pop song
with nagging melodies and insistent choruses, John Sperry
singing in a deep chested tenor that's somewhere between Eddie
Vedder, Bruce Springsteen and Evan Dando. The blues tinged
acoustic, OLD MAN CRANKPOT, comes on like
Beck channelling John Martyn. A deceptively simple song that
circles around the same bluesy guitar licks and insistent
vocals in a short, snappy swirl.
Cranking up the guitars to a distorted swell, OFF
THE COAST, changes tack again this time finding Sperry
Alan sporting an indie rock makeover that places them in the
same territory of the latest Low album, the one where they
discovered a love of loud guitars and catchy pop songs. A
slow building groove that hits glorious peaks of heart-warming
intensity amidst its more introspective moments, this is the
kind of stuff that bands build careers on. Veering back into
the acoustic blues, TILL THAT DAY, throws
in a few vaguely electro flourishes and tumbling beats, although
failing to hit the highs of much of the rest of the material
on offer here.
JESEPPY THE SEAWEATHERED BIRD, is at heart
a simple pop song with snappy choruses and a gentle bounce
imagining The Lemonheads with a blues rock edge. RETURN
TO FALL, is a more aggressive take on the same principal
that brings forth a certain hardcore fury that sees the band
rocking out, feet on monitors and amps to eleven. Flowing
its away along on a fluid guitar line and a driving drum pattern,
THE PACIFIST, bridges the gap between Sperry
Alan's softer side and alt-rock leanings, as the band explode
into the harder edged second half of the song with the confidence
of a band that knows exactly what its doing.
Keeping things rooted in a certain alt-rock ghetto, but opening
their sound up enough to encompass genres like blues, post-rock
and injecting something of an experimental edge at times,
ALBUM-A, is a record that always keeps you
on your toes. Sitting somewhere amidst The Beta Band, Beck,
Low and The Lemonheads, Sperry Alan put forward a sound that's
both recognisable and at the same time, doing enough things
differently enough to ensure that they're delivering something
fresh and unique.
Sperry Alan is the brain child of John Sperry, John is a 25
year old singer/songwriter/guitarist from Truro, Nova Scotia.
John wrote all the music on his first CD which was released
early fall 2004, Album-A was produced by Craig Sperry at Idea
of East Recording Studio, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Album-A was engineered and recorded by Craig Sperry. Jon Epworth
and Shane Kerr from Halifax's Dean Melenkos contributed their
skills and instruments to the album. Since the release, John
has been opening up for local acts.
He opened for Slow Coaster at The Manhattan, Moncton, Servo
at Hell, Halifax, Driveway at The Engine Room, Truro and Hawco
at The Engine Room, Truro.
John has produced and performed an instore show at Truro's
CD plus. Track 7 RETURN TO FALL has enjoyed airplay on two
radio stations, Big Dog 100.9 and
Q104.3 (Route 104 Program).
All art work for CD, posters and web site created by John
Sperry.
Album-A is now distributed by East Coast Rising Music, along
side such brand name acts as Crush and Nathan Wiley.
::
Line Up :: Discography :: Merchandise :: Further Listening
:: Web Links ::
|
LINKS
|
2000 - 2006