The Blood Arm - Infinite Nights Album Review

After the release of three albums, including 2006's critically lauded 'Lie Lover Lie', The Blood Arm decided a change of scene was needed and relocated from their Los Angeles base to Berlin.  Funded with the help of their fans, those local to their new home will have a chance to see the investment performed during a tour of Germany in October.

Far from an all-guns-blazing start, The Blood Arm begin the record with slow-burner 'Wrong Side Of The Law', a number that slowly builds in intriguing fashion.  Much more forceful is 'Midnight Moan', understandably selected as the lead track, which brings the sort of lo-fi blues rock that Jack White specialises in and at a quality to match.  A switch of direction brings the soft and melodic 'Oh Ali Bell!', a track that is lullaby-like in presentation but also forgettable.  This also applies to 'Happy Hour' and 'Let Me Be Your Guide', resulting in a frustrating position of beautiful music not incorporating the hooks required.  The flip-side to this coin is found in 'Bubblegum', a song that quickly moves from spoken word to infectious and quirky, doing well to narrowly avoid stepping into the bounds of annoying.  Also worth a mention is 'Sex Fiend' a frantic injection of quirky rock and roll energy in the midst of the album that stands out for genuine enjoyment and not just due to being a change of pace in proceedings.  More like this would certainly raise 'Infinite Nights' into an album that leaves a more memorable impression.

Alex Lai