Close To Perfection
Often the songs that are able to get under your skin and nestle snuggly there are the ones which have a story to tell, ones that wrap around you like a warm blanket or waltz through the speakers like a long lost friend. It's a skill that not all can achieve, but those who do, create a soundscape that unfolds before you, taking up residence in your conscious so you return again and again just for one more listen. Manchester rockers Darktown Jubilee have this skill; from the Springsteen-esque ability to craft a tale of the everyday man that manages to relate to all, to the infectious allure of guitars and synths that clearly hint at the bands Killers influence, The World, The Flesh and The Devil will not fail in grabbing your attention and having you hit the repeat button time after time.
Breakdown is as close to album opener perfection as you can get. From the jangling guitars that bristle with anticipation and excitement to the everyday, rawness of the common man that resides in each and every pore of the song brandishing hints of Bruce Springteen and more recently The Gaslight Anthem. Breakdown demands you sit up and pay attention, something you'll be only too willing to do. Luckily for us the Manchester rockers haven't peaked early and there is still more to come as Stay tantalisingly breezes by with Killers-esque infectious synths and guitars whilst The Great Escape is woefully haunting, sweeping by in a melodic rush of harmonies that undoubtedly will stir emotion before Darktown Jubilee unleash yet more to tease and appeal with the anthemic colossus of Stop! Look Around that is all but begging for a festival field to conquer or a stadium to lay claim to. And still Darktown Jubilee isn't done; where many albums may dip and throw out a couple of bland tracks, The World, The Flesh and The Devil refuses to ease up. Beautiful Night tenderly soothes offering atmospherically charged riffs amidst vocals that soothe and calm before Lost attacks the senses with foot tapping beats and a contagious melody that explodes into an irresistibly catchy chorus that will have you belting out the lyrics before yielding to the rousing passion of Something's Gotta Give that personifies the us versus them message that resonates brilliantly throughout the entire album.
The World, The Flesh and The Devil leaves other albums in the dust. Within 11 tracks Darktown Jubilee have captured every emotion possible, from woeful melancholy to euphoric optimism everything is touch upon by 11 driving tracks that deserve to be appreciated by a much wider audience. Hopefully Darktown Jubilee won't stay a secret of the North for long because sorry Manchester but these guys are just too good not to share with the rest of us. Meet your new favourite band.