Civil Twilight - Civil Twilight 2.5/5
Many young bands, and many established, refer to The Police, U2, Oasis and Muse as influences, however few can imitate their talents or success. For the South African trio, their debut record is both impressive and frustrating, at times demonstrating clear talent without much personality.
From the soaring opener, "Anybody Out There," it's inevitable to draw parallels between vocalist, Steven McKellar and U2's Bono, minus the god complex. The arena rock anthem kicks off a record full of jittery guitars and climatic numbers that, over the course of the albums 14 tracks begin to lose their edge.
The band's strength is their songwriting and general ability to produce multi-layered tracks with relative depth. In their more enjoyable moments, Civil Twilight shows promise, like the worldly "Soldier" hints to The Police, finding comfort in a reggae feel and a political message. Songs like the stripped and soulful, "Quiet In My Town," and the melodic bounce of the album's most accessible track, "Next To Me," find similar enjoyment, with more emphasis on their own brand of music.
The album falls victim to it's own ambition, and lack of it's own personality or signature. Civil Twilight haven't quite figured out how to embrace their influences, without being overtaken by them.
1 comment:
I did them.
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