There have been a lot of pretty good UK records out recently and here’s another to add to the list. It seems as though this album has been in the making for about 2 years now (probably longer as I reviewed the last EP in July 2006!) so there’s been a bit of mystery as to what caused the hold up and as to whether it would be worth the wait. The good news – it is indeed. This is the sound of a band that are very comfortable in their own skin, having found a sound that really suits them. I caught them at Slam Dunk 2010 and was a little surprised just how comfortable they were on the main stage; they seem to have grown a lot in the last two years, so whatever they’ve been doing to get this album out has clearly worked wonders!
This album is wall-to-wall hits from the get go. The fact that closer ‘You’re Not Walking Alone’ is one of the strongest, most anthemic songs the band have speaks volumes. It’s a real fist-in-the-air and belt it out as hard as you can song. I’m sure it will become a real live favourite. The 10 songs on this release are all of a high standard and I’m sure different people will each have a different favourite. ‘This Is What Livin’ Really Feels Like’ reminds me a little of Every Avenue until you get to the really catchy chorus and then it’s just a fantastic pop song. ‘No Time Like The Present’ is a bit of a foot-tapper and certainly one of the tracks I like the most.
If I was picky I’d say the slower ‘Headlights’ slightly lets the album down. I’m against ballads anyway because they always seem a bit tacked on at the end, so when they’re thrown into the middle of an album I always think they ruin the flow. It’s not a bad song by any means, it just doesn’t go all that well with the pace and feel of the rest of the album. Still, 9/10 ain’t bad – and if Out of Sight mirror half the success of the band that kicked things off on Slam Dunk Records, I suspect they’ll be pretty pleased…