Straight Lines - Freaks Like Us
Straight Lines recently came off tour with the brilliant Canterbury and in the process won over thousands of individuals with their performance of some amazing musical creations, such as the recent singles Half Gone and Commitments. The Welsh rockers debut album Persistence In This Game was the perfect introduction to the style and capabilities of the band, and Freaks Like Us takes things one step further and really allows Straight Lines to reach their full potential.
When it comes to Straight Lines, they have something that many other bands making their presences known in the music industry don't have and that is the vocal capabilities of lead singer/guitarist Tom Jenkins. The uniqueness as he sings is undoubtedly the most memorable and standout feature Straight Lines has on its side. Having said that, when surrounded by powerful the melodies, rocketing riffs and catchy lyrics of this album, things continue to get even better. This ten-track rock album kicks straight in with an explosion of an opener and continues on without failing to impress. The recent single Commitments demonstrates the upbeat, catchy and dynamic sound Straight Lines is capable of creating. Rings The Bells has a very movable rhythm tucked away, and is a firm album favourite. While it has gentle flowing verses, as the chorus is approached things really take off and work to blow the track open wide, really drawing in the listener. Burn My Thoughts is the calmest of tunes on this record. It is still full of goodness, but takes a step back from the hard hitting guitars and drums and vocally becomes less powerful but more delicate, while remaining a sing-a-long tune.
Whether it is material from this new album Freaks Like Us or its predecessor Persistence In This Game, Straight Lines put on one heck of a live performance and will hopefully be touring as support for this release soon.