Masters in France - Inhale
The beauty of reviewing unknown bands is the surprise that you 'may' just stumble upon a band that has the potential to deliver on the big stage before anyone else does. The UK is blessed with talented acts that gig a lot but very few make the successful transition from good live band to chart success; fewer still become household names that stand the test of time.
Masters in France (from North Wales) formed in 2009 and with just two years of gigging behind them, they seem to be a talented act that have perfected their craft. "Inhale" is their debut EP and although they have more originals as part of their repertoire, they've restricted their debut EP to just five songs. They seemed to follow a strategy that works well even in fields like journalism: Keep it short and keep it simple.
What's even better is that all the songs from their EP were on their Soundcloud account two months before the release date. Now that's a great way to market your album: Let people hear what you have to offer and make up their minds about the album purchase.
The album goes from good to better and is a selection of five really good songs. 'Mad Hatter' is resurrected by a good chorus but even on the opening track, these guys sound tight. 'Orbitoclast' is a piece with darker orchestration. 'Greyhounds' has shades of early Red Hot Chili Peppers with funky guitar-work and powerful vocals. It's my pick of the album and a gem of a track which deserves airplay.
'A.I. (Artificial Inches)' gets back to the trance-rock mode with layered vocals and instrumentation. 'Little Girl' actually makes you sing along and leaves you on the edge, waiting for more: Anytime that happens you know you've got a winner on your hands.