0
From the opening bursts of Feeding the Flame to the closing loneliness that echoes through the speakers on Sing Me to Sleep, Albany Down’s third album The Outer Reach is a master class in production values, musicianship, lyric writing and out-and-out, Rock-The-World brilliance.
To say that the sound of this album is vast would be an understatement and what Greg Haver has achieved, quite sublimely, is the feeling that this is a self-contained studio album rattling its chains to be let loose in the live forum. Think Game of Thrones spectacle, but with even more dragons.
The Drop for instance, with its almost freestyle frenetic feeling of totally controlled panic – accentuated by the powerhouse playing of drummer Donna Peters and the staccato dynamism of guitarist Paul Turley – itches to be aired at any big festival, yet still manages to sit nicely in its own environment here too.
Whereas in comparison, the silky smooth Funk of Supersonic Girl, which retains an edge through the beautifully laid out Bass lines supplied by Billy Dedman, steers well clear of being a pastiche of its peers and, instead, becomes a singular entity in its own, free-standing right.
With Paul Muir’s thunder and lightning edged vocals underpinning each and every track, and although it is virtually incumbent for me to find fault somewhere, The Outer Reach has me utterly defeated in this regard.
Okay, there are clear elements of Floyd, Schenker, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and – wait for it – Michael Jackson all mixed up in here (again, listen to the opening of Sing Me To Sleep and tell me I’m wrong about the last one), but ultimately The Outer Reach is a product of such incomparable quality it is a disservice to everyone concerned to even try and draw comparisons with others.
Perhaps after another 1,000 or so listens I’ll actually be able to find something to moan about, but seriously don’t hold your breath. This album is dynamite and should be played as loud as your ears can stand from dusk until dawn.
Albany Down
The Outer Reach
Release Date: 10 Jun. 2016
Label: AD Recordings
Copyright: 2016 AD Recordings
Total Length: 48:57
ASIN: B01EMG4558
PR Rating: ***** Get It!! Get It NOW!!!!
http://www.albanydown.com
On Tour
SOUTHAMPTON – TALKING HEADS
FRIDAY 6 MAY 2016
(SUPPORTING CORKY LAING)
Tickets: £12 / Book Online: http://talkingheads.vticket.co.uk/
Talking Heads, 16-22 The Polygon, Southampton, SO15 2BN
www.thetalkingheads.co.uk
ST IVES BLUES RHYTHM AND ROCK FESTIVAL
SATURDAY 7 MAY 2016
Tickets: £22 / Box Office: www.stivesbluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
St Ives Guild Hall, Street-an-Pol, St Ives, TR26 2DS
www.stivesguildhall.co.uk
FROME BLUES RHYTHM AND ROCK FESTIVAL
SUNDAY 8 MAY 2016
Tickets: £22 / Box Office: www.fromebluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
The Cheese and Grain, Market Yard, Justine Laine, Frome, BA11 1BE
www.cheeseandgrain.com
LINCOLN BLUES RHYTHM AND ROCK FESTIVAL
SUNDAY 15 MAY 2016
Tickets: £24 / Box Office: www.lincolnbluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
THE ENGINE SHED, BRAYFORD POOL, LINCOLN, LN6 7TS
www.engineshed.co.uk
LONDON – 100 CLUB
TUESDAY 31 MAY 2016
Tickets: £11 / Box Office: www.wegottickets.com/100club/event/342854
100 CLUB, 100 OXFORD STREET, LONDON, W1D 1LL
www.the100club.co.uk
SCUNTHORPE – THE LINCOLN IMP
FRIDAY 3 JUNE 2016
Tickets: £6 / Box Office: 01724 840 981
The Lincoln IMP, Gloucester Avenue, Scunthorpe, DN16 2DN
www.independentvenueweek.com/portfolio/scunthorpe-the-lincoln-imp/
ST ALBANS – THE HORN
TUESDAY 14 JUNE 2016
Tickets: £8 / Book Online: www.thehorn.co.uk
The Horn, Victoria St, St Albans AL1 3TE
www.thehorn.co.uk
MILTON KEYNES – THE STABLES
FRIDAY 17 JUNE 2016
Tickets: £12.50 / Box Office: 01908 280 800
The Stables, Stockwell Lane, Wavedon, MK17 8LU
www.stables.org
DURHAM BLUES RHYTHM AND ROCK FESTIVAL
SATURDAY 18 JUNE 2016
Tickets: £29 / Box Office: www.durhambluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
GALA THEATRE, MILLENIUM PLACE, DURHAM, DH1 1WA
www.galadurham.co.uk
CLEETHORPES BLUES RHYTHM AND ROCK FESTIVAL
SUNDAY 19 JUNE 2016
Tickets: £29 / Box Office: www.cleethorpesbluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
Pleasure Island, Kings Road, Cleethorpes, DN35 0PL
www.pleasure-island.co.uk
CHISLEHURST – THE BEAVERWOOD CLUB
TUESDAY 21 JUNE 2016
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 0208 761 9078
The Beaverwood Club, Beaverwood Road, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 6HF
www.thebeaverwoodclub.co.uk
OXFORD – THE BULLINGDON
MONDAY 11 JULY 2016
Tickets: £8 / Box Office: www.wegottickets.com/event/354662
The Bullingdon, 162 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1UE
www.thebullingdon.co.uk
GRIMSBY – YARDBIRDS ROCK CLUB
THURSDAY 14 JULY 2016
Tickets: £8 / Box Office: www.solidentertainments.com/presents.htm#ALBANY-DOWN-GRIMSBY
Church Street, Grimsby, DN32 7DD
www.yardbirdsrocks.co.uk
DONCASTER – THE LEOPARD
FRIDAY 15 JULY 2016
Tickets: £8 / Box office: www.solidentertainments.com/presents.htm#ALBANY-DOWN-DONCASTER
2 West Street, Doncaster, DN1 3AA
www.leopard-doncaster.co.uk
WHITEHAVEN ROCK AND BLUES FESTIVAL
FRIDAY 12 AUGUST 2016
Tickets: £15 / Box Office: www.mightyboofpromotions.com/#!rock-and-blues-2016/b1x7k
Copeland Stadium, Overend Road,
Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 8SD
HARTLEPOOL UNITED SUPPORTERS CLUB
SATURDAY 13 AUGUST 2016
Tickets: £10 / Box Office: 07535 979 658
140 Sandringham Road, Hartlepool, Cleveland, TS26 8PS