having loved the wintering ep i was anxious for chapel club's first record and i couldn't be more impressed. it has quickly become my favorite release of the year, so far, and i would be lying if i didn't say palace is all i've been listening to for the past week. there's no doubt in my mind that they are on their way to something great, having already built quite the following and i'm doing my part by forcing some of my friends to listen, and the feed-back has been tremendous. that being said, this is a record that promises you'll go back to it, and that's what i love about it, it's impossible to listen just once. i love that ability in a band: when they make you want more,and chapel club deliver in an outstanding manner making you want to listen to it over and over again,each time coming out with a whole new different experience.
record opener is the beautiful medley depths which sets the tone for the rest of the record, serving as the opening gate to an amazing journey. following, comes surfacing, a track already released in early 2011as a single, which features an amazing blend of heavy drumming, angular guitars and cut-deep lyrics, i particularly enjoy the second verse
cold, your blood as your soul but blood is the life
sold, the hand that you hold before you arrive
you're perfect, you're worth it your friends say
but clearly the main star of this track is the recurrent lyric (reminiscent of the mammas & the pappas maybe?) dream a little dream of me, an ironic sweet lyric in the midst of the dark sentiment which motivates the song, but yes, we will dream a little dream of you.
the characteristic drumming continues with five trees, a track already released in 2010 which shines as lewis bowman's deep-voice delivers dust in my heart, dust in my veins like no other could. after the flood follows, and chapel club's trademark becomes evident, they are an ensemble band, each instrument, each member works together creating an amazing piece.this ensemble delivers again with white night position, a song that some might say sounds like the horrors, but the truth is all i can think of is wanting to dance to this amazing tune.
the shore, another one of their early releases, couldn't be better positioned in the record as it is the track that soothes down the energy and, as the title suggests, transports to a breezy, calm place. surprisingly enough, as relaxing as the beat might sound the lyrics tell a completely different story, narrating a tale set in a torment of loss faith and desperation.
in comes my favorite track of the record blind which shows just how far from cliché this band really is, exposing a great guitar riff that serves as the bridge of the song that really steals your heart. at this point, it is easy to see just how committed this band is with putting out meaningful lyrics, might have something to do with the evident influence of literature, with favorites such as hemingway inspiring the way songs are told.
fine light carries on with the same atmosphere already set by the previous track, and picks up the pace ending with probably the best guitar of the whole record. o maybe i follows serving once again as a perfect example of the band's exquisite use of irony, delivering lyrics such as
oh, maybe i
should settle for a quiet life
or...maybe i
should chance it all on a perfect night
can't you see that sounds cynical?
these decisions ain't made with the head
all the eastern girls, opens up with the lyric my mind is a night garden exposing once again a song-writing style that is refreshing yet reminiscent of some of the greats. that's another thing about this band, they manage to appear exhilarating but they sound familiar, they seem like something you already knew about, and that's why their appeal does not away easily, they become part of your life through that familiarity.
the record sums up with paper thin a song that does not only perform an amazing closure but also allows the listener to take in what has happened. i really recommend this record, everyone should give it a listen, it is an experience you wouldn't want to miss.
