Search - Music :: Welcome to North (Bonus CD)

Maybe it's time you opened up your mind...

The Wickerman | Austin, TX | 09/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With a name like "The Music", and such simplistic album packaging, it might be easy to dismiss these guys as just another faceless, generic band. Add to that the fact that they fall under the "brit rock" label, which normally connotes a lackluster Coldplay or Radiohead ripoff, and one could fully expect the musical equivalent of a product from Sam's Club. However, that is far from being the case here. The Music are one of the most talented and distinctive rock bands out there today, and "Welcome to the North" is easily one of the most infectious albums I've heard lately.



Rather than drawing from the typical aforementioned brit rock influences, these guys draw more inspiration from classic rock bands, such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and even Rush. There is somewhat of an artistic element to their music, but more than anything, these guys just want to rock out and have fun. The guitarist is brilliant at writing memorable melodic hooks, and drummer Phil Jordan pounds the skins with hard groove power to rival John Bonham. Frontman Rob Harvey has a really cool and distinctive voice, sounding a bit like a British Geddy Lee. Musically, these guys are super-tight, with a great balance of sonic rawness and technical sophistication. They sound as though they could have come straight out of the 70's, and yet at the same time don't sound the least bit retro or dated. Quite an accomplishment, I'd say.



The album starts off with the title track, rife with melodic brit-rocky goodness. "Cessation", and "I Need Love" are fast and catchy (and the former also features both bass and drum solos, which are pretty sweet), "Bleed from Within" and "One Way in, No Way Out" have sort of an epic, Led Zeppelin feel. "Breakin" is the leading single, which is just super-fun pop. "Fight the Feeling" is an excellent ballad, and "Guide" and "Open Your Mind" are killer melodic rock (the latter has sort of a U2 vibe).



The best song of the album, without a doubt, is "Into the Night". I cannot describe this song as anything more than pure brit rock perfection. This is easily one of my favorite songs these days. Everyone should hear it at least once before they die.



The album also features a hidden track, which is all instrumental. It's roughly 6 minutes in length, and features stellar musicianship, and excellent buildup. It really ends the album with a punch.



So, do not be fooled by the deceptively generic facade of this band. "Welcome to the North" is one of the best rock albums of the past year, and you can't afford to pass if up. If you're a music fan, you'll be a Music fan for sure."

Some good The Mars Volta influenced rock songs, but they're

C. Cross | 12/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Welcome To The North" has some obvious standouts, but the fact is these songs really aren't that interesting longterm. You will recognize their catchiness, but chances are you aren't going to be listening to them on a regular basis. The singer strikingly resembles the one from The Mars Volta, although I'm not 100% sure if they were influenced by that band (their album, "De-Loused In The Comatorium", is infinitely more creative). The lyrics are also pretty bad, although easy to sing a long to (see "Welcome To The North" and "Freedom Fighters"). There are about 6 good-to-ok songs on the album, with the rest being filler, and honestly you won't really care if you own this album or not. Sure some songs are cool for a bit, but they're pretty generic in that regard. Buy it if you have extra cash and no better album to get (although it's a decent purchase if you're looking for some dancy-yet-hard-rockin' tunes).



Highlights include:

"Welcome To The North"

"Freedom Fighters"

"Bleed From Within"

"Breakin'"

"Cessation"

"I Need Love""

They did it again !!!

Fabio L. Manara | São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil | 08/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Is really great to see that some artist are doing some new things without leaving behind their roots. This is an album that shows this.



Welcome to the north *****

Bleedin from within *****

Fight the felling *****

Open your mind *****"