Monday, August 03, 2009

The Rumble Stripes review on JC Report...




Put A Record On: The Rumble Stripes Walk Together
August 3rd, 2009 | Devon

With the help of super-producer Mark Ronson, The Rumble Stripes' latest album Welcome To The Walk Alone will propel the British quintet into a new stratosphere of fame. Thanks to Ronson's hefty rolodex, the album features an array of celebrity appearances and the inevitable tabloid coverage that comes with it. Lucky for us, this media attention didn't blur the band's focus.

The resulting album is a natural progression from debut Girls And Weather, which helped bring horns back into today's musical landscape, and the strong brass section seems to have become a defining feature of the band's sound. It's little wonder the band has already been compared to '80s rockers Dexy's Midnight Runners.

The recording's epic qualities are evident from first single "Not The Only Person." Singer Charlie Waller's voice has a welcome strength that stands out from the rest of the warbling indie-rock scene. Despite a few low points, such as on "Sweet Heart Hooligan," the album still has a lot of humor. Despite famous producers and trumpets, The Rumble Stripes manages to rumble up a party, and it's not to be missed.

For more information, see www.myspace.com/rumblestripsuk.

—David Hellqvist

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