Half Crown CD Review - Everything Goes LP

Half Crown have certainly come along way in the last year. Here is an extract from my review of their support slot for Rizzle Kicks at Brighton Dome in March 2013.

"The highlight of the supports for me was the main support Half Crown. Their mix of rap vocals with guitars, bass and drums provided a refreshing contrast to the previous acts, and the crowd seemed to be getting behind them too. The lead rapper was very charismatic and had an infectious energy which spread all across the band, which all seemed to be having the time of their lives on the stage. I am sure that the band has a promising future in music. It was nice to see some hip-hop without the hats."

'Everything Goes' is a diverse and collection of catchy well-produced songs, covering a wide range of styles from rock, pop, rap, indie and funk. 

The LP is available to buy from itunes here for £6.32 or pick up a copy at their upcoming gigs.

1. Palm of Your Hand

Opening with a cheeky and growling brass riff, reminding me of one of my old local favouries Two Spot Gobi, and vocals that are very much in the same vein as Will and The People, the LP starts very confidently, with excellent production and a really catchy opening track. Half Crown remind me of an early Kooks, but just a little bit cooler!

2. Electric

Opening with a Foster The People style riff, the song is as rocky as Palm of Your Hand is funky. The vocals are raspy and rough but in a good way, and the electric guitar solo and middle-8: "I'm just a couple of watts, short of what you need" are fantastic, with a real gutsy oomph behind it. A really catchy chorus too: "They say you're electric so I can't touch you babe".

3. Eyes of Diamond, Tears of Gold

Another funky upbeat and uptempo track, with lyrics spat out like a Waitrose customer with their dinner upon realizing that they've accidentally bought something from the Essentials range. Another cracking chorus after the thought-provoking pre-chorus "I want to believe, that we as individuals can be free".

4. Sync or Swim

The opening sounds like a cross between The Streets, Eminem's and Blink-182 (from their self-titled album) mixing spoken words with quite a dark sounding backdrop. Already just four tracks in, the LP covers a wide cross-section of musical styles, showing the diverse talent of their songwriting.

5. Rubber Ghost

More spacious and unsurprisingly ghostly, the vocals are very punchy, with the understated guitar and bass creating a nice textural contrast to the previous tracks. The different vocalists provide a deep mesh of call and response, harmonies and timbral variety to the track.

6. Wonderland

Great lyrics to this track!"Would you like some salt and vinegar with that chip on your shoulder? There's a time and a place to get off your face, and trust me mate I should know". A real urban social commentary that is usually associated with the likes of The Streets and Arctic Monkeys, delivered in a fresh way over this reggae backdrop. The song has lots of twists and turns and different sections. Half Crown certainly know how to piece together atypical song structures!

7. Mygrain

Starting with a fat bass-line and a psychedelic guitar lick, Mygrain has a raucous vocal almost in a glam rock style (just another genre to throw into these guys' influneces!). Glam rock rap: has that happened before? I can't think of anywhere I've heard it!

8. Rule #1

An exposed vocal and guitar start this track before the party starts with a funky riff and full band entering. The song seems to fit well with the opening track, bookending the LP with classic funk, and including the title lyric 'Everything goes', which is always good to hear. Check out the videos included and if it seems like your sort of thing then download the LP or go and catch them live soon.

http://www.halfcrownband.com/

@half_crown

Wild Rivers - All The Lights Album Review - My Five Standout Tracks

Last month Brighton two piece Wild Rivers released their debut album All The Lights with an Album Launch night at Sticky Mike's Frog Bar. Unfortunately I was unable to make the gig, but here is the pick of my favourite tracks from the LP. Check it out on bandcamp now. It's available to download for just £3.

Track 1. Different Roads - With the album title in the opening line, I guess you could call this the title track of the album. Nice guitar hook lines give this song an edgy feel, combined with the strong rock drum beat. The song is made up of short verse and chorus sections which work really well together, followed neatly by the middle 8, guitar solo and vocal and drum re-introduction of the chorus at the end to bring it home. A confident start to their debut LP.



Track 4. Learning to Love - The cheeky chaps managed to get the album title into this track's lyrics too! Perhaps all part of a cunning subliminal marketing scheme. Either way, with addition of the piano on this track and a catchy chorus this track is another great addition to the album. It kind of reminds me a little of other local act FranClassic without the beatboxing.



Track 8. Capital Letters - Opening the album with a track of pure acoustic pop, this song would fit in very well with the the soundtrack to "Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging" with the likes of Scouting for Girls, The Rumble Strips and fictional band The Stiff Dylans.



Track 9. A Million Times - With more of a Britpop/Oasis vibe to the intro, the song quickly reverts back to the catchy upbeat indie-pop of the opening track. It kinda has the feeling of a Take That song, which for a debut album track is a real achievement.



Track 11. Find A Way - In my opinion this is by far the best track on the album.The simple acoustic and vocal at the start builds into the drop of the second verse and the incredibly catchy chorus has been stuck in my head since the very first hearing. This song could easily find a place in the Top 40 Chart. A great way to end the album, leaving the audience wanting more.

For more information about upcoming gigs, visit their facebook page.