Onward Chariots - This is my Confession.
Out there in the big bad world somewhere is a band influence cheat sheet. A sheet that says if you want to appeal to a particular market in your press reviews you'd better list the following bands to get the right association. When done correctly this connection can help find an audience for your music who will celebrate your style and understand your musical approach. They may find something familiar from their favourite bands and who knows, they may just attend a gig or buy the album.
Onward Chariots present themselves as immersed in the works of Peter, Bjorn & john, Belle & Sebastian, Yo Lo Tengo and the Beatles. A mixed bag sure but one that sets out a particular genre of music quite well. We have the token 60's roots band in the Beatles and the slightly underground/very hipster Belle & Sebastian to appeal to the indie in all of us. Then lets top it all off with a slightly more mainstream Peter, Bjorn and John and by magic we've gained blanket coverage.
The problem with this is that this record has more sides to it than a dodecahedron and it flows like traffic at rush hour. The first two tracks on this album epitomise the listed influences and the first track, cunningly called Opener, is a one and a half minute harmony and instrumental that taps into Ben Moss's background as a composer and conductor. It slowly builds tension and pitch to This is my Confession which has an early era Foo Fighters feel to it thanks to a simple garage rock riff that descends into guitar porn 70's rock solos. It's a great track and a great start to the album.
But what on earth is this?! Suddenly everything so suave and silky smooth about this band has been thrown out of the window. An ode to wife beating, life threatening Mel Gibson is a tongue in cheek reference to the character he played in the Lethal Weapon series and its striking similarities to his personal life. The song is executed (in more ways than one) by a college band style pop rock soundtrack and voice breaking harmonies that you will either adore or run away from.
That, in a nutshell, sums up this album. There is something for everyone for sure but you will have to plough through the random tracks to find the gems hidden in the dirt. Give the album a chance as you will find there are a couple of tracks on this release that are worth looking for.