| The Slow Readers Club — Build A Tower (4th May, 2018) |
The Slow Readers Club — Build A Tower (4th May, 2018)
•α• Their combination of organic instruments and electronic manipulation show this is a band with one foot planted in the past and one foot planted in the future. Their influences are worn proud, drawing out from their geographical contemporary, but also passing along flavours from a modern international repertoire. The tracks are similar, but not in a painfully derogative way like many of their peers. Slow Readers Club have a clearly established and mature sound which could pack out rooms across the world, which I have no doubt will inspire hoards of bombastic and energetic fans. (Josh Bell, RGM Press)
Location: Manchester, UK
Album release: 4th May, 2018
Record Label: Modern Sky Records
Duration: 36:55
Tracks:
01. Lunatic 3:33
02. Supernatural 3:25
03. You Opened Up My Heart 4:22
04. Never Said I Was The Only One 3:10
05. On The TV 3:53
06. Through The Shadows 3:48
07. Lives Never Known 3:09
08. Not Afraid Of The Dark 3:35
09. Lost In Your Gaze 3:58
10. Distant Memory 4:02
Review
By Leigh Sanders | Music | Published: May 5, 2018 | Rating: 9/10
∏→ There are few better feelings for music lovers — that sudden, excited rush in your chest when a record kicks in and 20 seconds into the first song you just think...‘I’m going to like this’.
∏→ This is exactly what we experienced as the broody yet hopeful Build A Tower began, the third record from Mancunian starlets The Slow Readers Club.
∏→ Like White Lies, Foals, Editors and Sisters Of Mercy before them, they pair deep and powerful vocals with guitars and keys to build a current of high~voltage feeling through fully immersive, epic songwriting.
∏→ There are some fantastic pieces of work from the off. Opener Lunatic lives up to its title. Mixing more of an upbeat dance vibe in with their atmospheric core it creates a brilliantly lifting strata that thuds along thanks to the delicate~yet~forceful percussion of David Whitworth.
∏→ Straight away we have a sound reminiscent of those chart toppers Foals in Supernatural. That twanging guitar sound helps the verse flow along serenely before a wall of sound erupts for the choruses to catapult an already inwardly dancing listener to new heights of euphoria.
∏→ Then we have the record’s highlight — You Opened Up My heart. That dangerous sounding bassline and scattered guitar warns of an impending danger, and it arrives with the chorus. This is an absolute beauty of a track that from start to finish is exactly what this corner of the musical world is about.
∏→ Vocalist Aaron Starkie must be a Morrissey fan, too. Not Afraid Of The Dark could sit proudly in The Smiths’ catalogue, but far from just sounding like a dedication to a hero it carries its own bite, particularly in the high~pitched chorus that sets pulses racing with the petrified serving of guitar and keys swirling around it.
∏→ The outro to closer Distant Memory is a highlight as well. A very stadium~rock~era~Editors sounding track it bubbles along nicely until an explosive outro really makes an impression with crashing symbols and staccato vocals from Starkie.
∏→ This is a fantastic listen, and fans of that whole post~punk, synth~led era simply have to give this a listen. They will not be disappointed. ∏→ https://www.expressandstar.com/
Review
Written by Wayne Carey; 21 April, 2018; Score: 4/5
•α• Manchester has some strong talent around these days and The Slow Readers Club are on par to join the likes of Blossoms and Cabbage. The third album from the indie electro Manc four piece should see them propelled into the indie mainstream with their dark and sophisticated anthems.
•α• Slow Readers have been building up momentum for quite a few years now with a cult following of fans growing and growing due to their Killers / Editors type tunes and support slots with the likes of big hitters James and Catfish & The Bottlemen. They have a large sound which is down to the polished production duties of Phil Bulleyment (Gaz Coombes, Dutch Uncles) and some of the songs sound like anthems made for the larger venues. It’s as if their first two albums were a build up to the one that will surely have them on major radio rotation and if that’s what they are after that’s fine. There will be the usual music snobs out there who will have their gripes…. do they matter? Since their debut in 2011 they have honed their sound with skill and experience as can be heard on this latest piece.
•α• It all kicks off with first single Lunatic, all keyboards and techno style beats layered with a great guitar sound and dark lyrics reminiscent of Curtis “Build a tower, hundred storeys high, lock myself in, isolation” It’s a great start for Aaron and company. Next song Supernatural wouldn’t look uncomfortable on a Foals album with that guitar sound and groovy beat. They may have dark lyrics but the sounds are instantly infectious. You Opened Up My Heart is like listening to The Killers, or Interpol on e~numbers kicking in with a nice New Order~esque drum beat and a guitar riff that reminds me of the theme tune to Knight Rider! It has a cracking chorus that will be ringing around the festival circuit in a raucous sing along. Never Said I Was The Only One has a Julian Cope feel to it as Aaron has that same vocal range quality and it reminds me of early Teardrop Explodes stuff. On The TV is another future anthem and in the same line as Foals / Maccabees type indie offerings is catchy as fuck. They continue in a similar vein with tracks like Lives Never Known, the excellent single Through The Shadows and more. The only disappointment for me is the last track Distant Memory which trundles of into nowhere and stops the album from getting a 5 bomb review for me.
•α• Have The Readers finally made the album that shoots them into the big indie league? They sound like so many other bands like Editors, Foals, New Order, The Maccabees, The Killers, Interpol, however they have made their own niche in the scene and can write a good anthem with ease. Personally I think this is going somewhere as their sound and production qualities are up there and this could easily sit in a lot of commercial indie heads record collection. And if they can sell out the Albert Hall in Manchester just by word of mouth you can see the bigger venues and large festivals beckoning. A refreshing band that are poised for the jump!
•α• http://louderthanwar.com/
Website: https://www.theslowreadersclub.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/slowreadersclub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theslowreadersclub
_____________________________________________________________
| The Slow Readers Club — Build A Tower (4th May, 2018) |
Location: Manchester, UK
Album release: 4th May, 2018
Record Label: Modern Sky Records
Duration: 36:55
Tracks:
01. Lunatic 3:33
02. Supernatural 3:25
03. You Opened Up My Heart 4:22
04. Never Said I Was The Only One 3:10
05. On The TV 3:53
06. Through The Shadows 3:48
07. Lives Never Known 3:09
08. Not Afraid Of The Dark 3:35
09. Lost In Your Gaze 3:58
10. Distant Memory 4:02
Review
By Leigh Sanders | Music | Published: May 5, 2018 | Rating: 9/10
∏→ There are few better feelings for music lovers — that sudden, excited rush in your chest when a record kicks in and 20 seconds into the first song you just think...‘I’m going to like this’.
∏→ This is exactly what we experienced as the broody yet hopeful Build A Tower began, the third record from Mancunian starlets The Slow Readers Club.
∏→ Like White Lies, Foals, Editors and Sisters Of Mercy before them, they pair deep and powerful vocals with guitars and keys to build a current of high~voltage feeling through fully immersive, epic songwriting.
∏→ There are some fantastic pieces of work from the off. Opener Lunatic lives up to its title. Mixing more of an upbeat dance vibe in with their atmospheric core it creates a brilliantly lifting strata that thuds along thanks to the delicate~yet~forceful percussion of David Whitworth.
∏→ Straight away we have a sound reminiscent of those chart toppers Foals in Supernatural. That twanging guitar sound helps the verse flow along serenely before a wall of sound erupts for the choruses to catapult an already inwardly dancing listener to new heights of euphoria.
∏→ Then we have the record’s highlight — You Opened Up My heart. That dangerous sounding bassline and scattered guitar warns of an impending danger, and it arrives with the chorus. This is an absolute beauty of a track that from start to finish is exactly what this corner of the musical world is about.
∏→ Vocalist Aaron Starkie must be a Morrissey fan, too. Not Afraid Of The Dark could sit proudly in The Smiths’ catalogue, but far from just sounding like a dedication to a hero it carries its own bite, particularly in the high~pitched chorus that sets pulses racing with the petrified serving of guitar and keys swirling around it.
∏→ The outro to closer Distant Memory is a highlight as well. A very stadium~rock~era~Editors sounding track it bubbles along nicely until an explosive outro really makes an impression with crashing symbols and staccato vocals from Starkie.
∏→ This is a fantastic listen, and fans of that whole post~punk, synth~led era simply have to give this a listen. They will not be disappointed. ∏→ https://www.expressandstar.com/
Review
Written by Wayne Carey; 21 April, 2018; Score: 4/5
•α• Manchester has some strong talent around these days and The Slow Readers Club are on par to join the likes of Blossoms and Cabbage. The third album from the indie electro Manc four piece should see them propelled into the indie mainstream with their dark and sophisticated anthems.
•α• Slow Readers have been building up momentum for quite a few years now with a cult following of fans growing and growing due to their Killers / Editors type tunes and support slots with the likes of big hitters James and Catfish & The Bottlemen. They have a large sound which is down to the polished production duties of Phil Bulleyment (Gaz Coombes, Dutch Uncles) and some of the songs sound like anthems made for the larger venues. It’s as if their first two albums were a build up to the one that will surely have them on major radio rotation and if that’s what they are after that’s fine. There will be the usual music snobs out there who will have their gripes…. do they matter? Since their debut in 2011 they have honed their sound with skill and experience as can be heard on this latest piece.
•α• It all kicks off with first single Lunatic, all keyboards and techno style beats layered with a great guitar sound and dark lyrics reminiscent of Curtis “Build a tower, hundred storeys high, lock myself in, isolation” It’s a great start for Aaron and company. Next song Supernatural wouldn’t look uncomfortable on a Foals album with that guitar sound and groovy beat. They may have dark lyrics but the sounds are instantly infectious. You Opened Up My Heart is like listening to The Killers, or Interpol on e~numbers kicking in with a nice New Order~esque drum beat and a guitar riff that reminds me of the theme tune to Knight Rider! It has a cracking chorus that will be ringing around the festival circuit in a raucous sing along. Never Said I Was The Only One has a Julian Cope feel to it as Aaron has that same vocal range quality and it reminds me of early Teardrop Explodes stuff. On The TV is another future anthem and in the same line as Foals / Maccabees type indie offerings is catchy as fuck. They continue in a similar vein with tracks like Lives Never Known, the excellent single Through The Shadows and more. The only disappointment for me is the last track Distant Memory which trundles of into nowhere and stops the album from getting a 5 bomb review for me.
•α• Have The Readers finally made the album that shoots them into the big indie league? They sound like so many other bands like Editors, Foals, New Order, The Maccabees, The Killers, Interpol, however they have made their own niche in the scene and can write a good anthem with ease. Personally I think this is going somewhere as their sound and production qualities are up there and this could easily sit in a lot of commercial indie heads record collection. And if they can sell out the Albert Hall in Manchester just by word of mouth you can see the bigger venues and large festivals beckoning. A refreshing band that are poised for the jump!
•α• http://louderthanwar.com/
Website: https://www.theslowreadersclub.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/slowreadersclub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theslowreadersclub
_____________________________________________________________