Reverend and The Makers - A French Kiss In The Chaos Album Review

Review of Reverend & The Makers A French Kiss In The Chaos

Fresh from their opening slot on the recent Oasis stadium tour, Sheffield's Reverend & The Makers release their second album, the follow up to 2007's 'The State of Things'. The band will be hitting the road in October for an extensive tour of the UK.

Having suffered from press overhype in their early days, you may be forgiven for thinking that Jon McClure and his band are no longer worth your time, but without the expectation they come across well. Lead single 'Silence Is Talking' opens the album with a growling bass and a sample of War's 'Low Rider', which gives them a track to rival the quality of their breakthrough number 'Heavyweight Champion of the World'. 'Hidden Persuaders' is decent mid-tempo rant against commercialism, while 'No Wood Just Trees' features a funky rhythm section to get your groove on. Some tracks are easily skipped, 'Mermaids' in particular, but 'Long Long Time' stands out for its surprisingly endearing vulnerability and at this point you'd say it was a decent enough record. The band saves an ace for the finale though, with 'Hard Time for Dreamers' being an ambitious and atmospheric musing on relationships lasting through tragedies. It is built on a haunting acoustic melody, before a complete dynamic change sees drums pounding and McClure lifting his vocals. It really is breathtaking and if anything it is too short, but its greatness is undeniable and means that there really couldn't have been a better way to close the album.

Alex Lai