Late City Edition - She Saves My Soul
Info: Dublin 5-piece rock band Late City Edition have been together since 2010, on the 16th of April, Record Store Day, they will finally release their debut album, A Classic Case Of... on limited edition vinyl (as well as all other formats) both in Ireland and the U.K.. The album marks a culmination of the band’s journey so far and displays the progression they have made both as songwriters and close friends since their early incarnations and features live fan favourites along with new tracks yet to be unveiled. Recorded over a few weekend sessions locked away in the studio they set about the arduous task of whittling down tracks to form a cohesive album which ebbs, flows and meanders from start to finish and displays enough light and shade to keep most listeners fulfilled.
From the get go A Classic Case Of... outlines what a newcomer to Late City Edition can expect over it's 11 tracks, we're swinging between 90's Britpop and mod revival as well as late 60's infused folk psych-rock. Opener 'The River' doffs it's cap to Ocean Colour Scene, but it's pre-Moseley Shoals interestingly enough and echoes more their debut self-titled album, in particular vocals which recall Simon Fowler's impassioned and gravelly range. Current single 'Blink of an Eye' (below video) comes next, with a mash-up between The Byrds and the jangle-pop acoustic stylings of The La's, it's easy to see why this one has become a firm fan favourite. It's authentic and glides effortlessly from verse to chorus and back again and the album's release should usher the track into our consciousness once again just on time for summer.
Late City Edition - Blink of an Eye
'End of the World' intro's with a Kula Shaker riff before hitting it's stride, some really nice wah-wah effects and a foot-stomping beat give it a self-assured swagger, the voiceover sample also breaks the track up nicely before it shoots of to it's psychedelic conclusion with some incredibly delicious guitar solos and sitar sounds. Proceedings slow down with the melodic gentleness of 'Everything You Thought You Had', a tender ballad which is also defiant, it's euphoric finale showing that LCE know when to strike within a song to bring it to the next level.
Even just reading a track title like 'Emily Jane' instantly conjures up images of The Kinks, The Yardbirds and very early Pink Floyd, but no dice, as the band go for a folk-country hue complete with fiddle which give is more Johnny Cash than Ray Davies. A big highlight for me came on 'Two Times A Lover', it's a contemporary gem inspired by the past and it's an honourable homage to late 60-s rock n' roll, here the band have slammed their foot on the gas and let it all hang out with abandon, there's even time for some soulful brass sounds, bingo.
Again 'Turning of the Tide' ticks a lot of boxes, and all of the right ones, instantly enjoyable, a sombre guitar riff duels with distorted chord progressions, there are some nice harmonies here which worked well and it surprised me that the band didn't make more use of them throughout the album, but there's time for that on future recordings. 'She Saves My Soul' (top) throws everything psych-rock into it but the kitchen sink, Electric Prunes' 'I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)' is all around us in terms of mood, this track oozes cool, attitude and sophistication.
A Classic Case Of... ends strongly with the beautiful stripped back intro on 'Love Is Real', which unexpectedly bursts into life quite suddenly whilst retaining it's calm mood, 80's Kinks, 'Living on a Thin Line' perhaps. Ultimately there is not a single bad track on Late City Edition's debut album, they're all good, but that should be no great surprise to anyone who has followed them over the past few years, and certainly isn't to me after I was taken in by their live performance at The Academy last year when they supported fellow Dublin rock band Penrose. Many will draw comparisons as I have to certain eras and specific bands, but there's more than a mere eulogy to the past at play here, there's a group of musicians who know exactly what they are doing on each track and have executed that across the entire album, one that I would expect to be hugely popular following it's release this weekend.
Late City Edition play a special launch gig in Opium, Wexford St, Dublin 2 on Friday 15th April 2016 in advance of the Record Store Day release.
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