At times quite astounding anthemic uplifting rock.
To the outsider, the question must arise what A&R men actually do for a living? On the surface, their jobs are simplified by a band making a major breakthrough allowing a bunch of like-minded acts to burst through in their place and allow record labels to cherry pick from a single town or region. In recent years, Glasgow and Leeds has witnessed the media explosion and hype, and due to the cheeky young scamps of the moment, Sheffield is now due its latest dance in the spotlight.
This should neatly turn us to Gledhill, possibly the next big smash hit from Sheffield, except they are nothing like the Arctic Monkeys. Gledhill's sound is massive and immediately evokes memories of confident assured guitar pop from the past few decades and a belief that big can be best.
A key aspect in the album is that songs do enough to hint at another band or song but then combine it with something entirely different and it works enough to give the song a fresh feel. For instance, 'If This Is The End' primarily sounds like an up-tempo Doves number then the chorus contains a jauntier sing-along that is more reminiscent of a band like The Concretes and therefore the elements combine in making a song bigger than the sum of its parts.
The vocals of lead singer Dave Gledhill flow easily throughout the record affecting different accents and tones throughout, never once sounding dull and always reaching further. Melodically, it's an impressive and consistent record, the next chorus is never far away and it rarely falls below the quality of the one that came before.
If the shambles that is Embrace can make a good living with a singer who couldn't hold a tune in a bucket specifically made for carrying tunes in, then Gledhill should be on permanent residence on Top Of The Pops. With any major act, there is a need for a breakthrough song, a track that stands out and can open the door for other less impressive songs, and in amongst a very good record, for this reviewer, the battering ram to take this album to a wider audience stands loud and clear.
'The Lovers' is a beautiful ballad, tinkling piano and guitar constantly building with one of the most heart-felt choruses, which even threatened to even drag this cynical reviewer along with it, such is the emotion it carries. If this track gets enough airplay to reach the masses you can kiss goodbye to seeing Gledhill in a small venue ever again, as it would smash the mainstream market to pieces. In a way it's preferable that doesn't happen to prevent the band being chewed up and spat back out in today's disposable market but songs of this calibre deserve to be heard on a larger scale. It's a song good enough to please any die-hard Indie musical snob whilst appealing to a far wider market. And therein lies the worry for Gledhill, are they going to fall in between two stools? It's likely the band will indicate no preference and just want to play their music to whoever likes it and that's an admirable enough goal but it is a tricky position to maintain.
Upbeat U2-esque songs like 'Constellations' or 'Roots' sit easily with more reflective tracks like 'Remain' or 'Electricity' and the album contains enough little gems to uncover for weeks ahead.
The album's great, it may not be your genre or you may have a fear of liking anything too commercial but considering some of the acts who have shifted serious units in recent years, Gledhill deserve some attention.