| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Welcome to the North |  | |
Welcome to the North
Japanese pressing of the UK indie act's sophomore album features one bonus audio track, 'Freedom Fighters' (Electric Elimination Mix), along with the enhanced video to the same track. Virgin. 2004.
Manufacturer: Capitol
Price Range: $1.50 - $12.98
 Welcome to the North
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| User Reviews |  | Mentally Grating By The End
rating: 2
I bought this album, Welcome to the North, in spite of the terribly unoriginal band name, after hearing two good singles with some very nice hooks. Unfortunately, at least for my tastes, those two songs ("Breakin'" and "Into the Night") are about the only two songs I still like after listening to the album multiple times. In general, I found there to be a very repetitive tone of singing and guitar, that ends up grating on my musical nerves by the end of a full album listen. I also think there are just not enough quality songs on this album.
There is a definite comparison to make with Rush, but I think Rush had a much more dynamic and varied sense of writing in their songs. I don't think this album even remotely comes close to living up to the comparisons I see with U2 or Led Zeppelin. I also think those types of comparisons are ludicrous, as those bands set the standards for entire genres of music.
That said, I can see this band, which does have talent, drawing in quite a few fans, but they are definitely not my cup of tea.
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4 stars because 5 stars is reserved for cd #3!
rating: 4
everything has been said in one form or another, but i'd just like to add that vocally, i think the similarity is to phil lewis of la guns. the bands are different, so i'm not saying anyone is copying anyone. a killer voice is a killer voice.
i know it's about "the music", but there are all kinds of GREAT cd's that go nowhere due to lack of exposure. at least one member has to step up and be a leader, spokesperson to overcome the hard to search name and lack of any kind of image, perceived or real. it can be anybody. the drummer does it in metallica. the bass player does it in kiss/motley crue.
guitarists and singers do it a lot.
if it's about ego, have all four do it! i'm already on board, having the first two cd's as well as the ep and a few singles. i'll get the new cd, but others need to be reached! remain humble, but follow up the feeling of accomplishment with the realization of a job complete. come to america, play with anybody you can, anywhere you can - some places two or three times (like columbus, ohio).
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They did it again !!!
rating: 5
Is really great to see that some artist are doing some new things without leaving behind their roots. This is an album that shows this.
Welcome to the north *****
Bleedin from within *****
Fight the felling *****
Open your mind *****
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Some good The Mars Volta influenced rock songs, but they're pretty mindless - 3.5 stars
rating: 3
"Welcome To The North" has some obvious standouts, but the fact is these songs really aren't that interesting longterm. You will recognize their catchiness, but chances are you aren't going to be listening to them on a regular basis. The singer strikingly resembles the one from The Mars Volta, although I'm not 100% sure if they were influenced by that band (their album, "De-Loused In The Comatorium", is infinitely more creative). The lyrics are also pretty bad, although easy to sing a long to (see "Welcome To The North" and "Freedom Fighters"). There are about 6 good-to-ok songs on the album, with the rest being filler, and honestly you won't really care if you own this album or not. Sure some songs are cool for a bit, but they're pretty generic in that regard. Buy it if you have extra cash and no better album to get (although it's a decent purchase if you're looking for some dancy-yet-hard-rockin' tunes).
Highlights include:
"Welcome To The North"
"Freedom Fighters"
"Bleed From Within"
"Breakin'"
"Cessation"
"I Need Love"
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Maybe it's time you opened up your mind...
rating: 5
With a name like "The Music", and such simplistic album packaging, it might be easy to dismiss these guys as just another faceless, generic band. Add to that the fact that they fall under the "brit rock" label, which normally connotes a lackluster Coldplay or Radiohead ripoff, and one could fully expect the musical equivalent of a product from Sam's Club. However, that is far from being the case here. The Music are one of the most talented and distinctive rock bands out there today, and "Welcome to the North" is easily one of the most infectious albums I've heard lately.
Rather than drawing from the typical aforementioned brit rock influences, these guys draw more inspiration from classic rock bands, such as the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and even Rush. There is somewhat of an artistic element to their music, but more than anything, these guys just want to rock out and have fun. The guitarist is brilliant at writing memorable melodic hooks, and drummer Phil Jordan pounds the skins with hard groove power to rival John Bonham. Frontman Rob Harvey has a really cool and distinctive voice, sounding a bit like a British Geddy Lee. Musically, these guys are super-tight, with a great balance of sonic rawness and technical sophistication. They sound as though they could have come straight out of the 70's, and yet at the same time don't sound the least bit retro or dated. Quite an accomplishment, I'd say.
The album starts off with the title track, rife with melodic brit-rocky goodness. "Cessation", and "I Need Love" are fast and catchy (and the former also features both bass and drum solos, which are pretty sweet), "Bleed from Within" and "One Way in, No Way Out" have sort of an epic, Led Zeppelin feel. "Breakin" is the leading single, which is just super-fun pop. "Fight the Feeling" is an excellent ballad, and "Guide" and "Open Your Mind" are killer melodic rock (the latter has sort of a U2 vibe).
The best song of the album, without a doubt, is "Into the Night". I cannot describe this song as anything more than pure brit rock perfection. This is easily one of my favorite songs these days. Everyone should hear it at least once before they die.
The album also features a hidden track, which is all instrumental. It's roughly 6 minutes in length, and features stellar musicianship, and excellent buildup. It really ends the album with a punch.
So, do not be fooled by the deceptively generic facade of this band. "Welcome to the North" is one of the best rock albums of the past year, and you can't afford to pass if up. If you're a music fan, you'll be a Music fan for sure.
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Welcome to the North
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