Caught these boys live a couple of weeks ago and Tracker has to say he was mightily impressed with both their sound, and their energy and presence as a live act. Yours truly is pleased to report that this CD more than does the band justice, with intelligent songwriting and excellent performance and production values in evidence throughout.
So what do they sound like...? Well, actually they sound like... the Dreaming Tree, and are hard to categorize, other than to say they play some top draw rock n roll, with a very distinctive and individual style. Opening track 'Killing Sense for Another Cosy Cottage Slot Machine' (kinda rolls off the tongue, don't it?), kicks off with a really louche fuzz guitar sound, interplayed with a great Hammond organ sound.
Lead vocalist Chris has an excellent vocal style that, in an odd way, puts me in mind of certain 1960's Vegas lounge type acts, such as Tony Christie. Yes, his voice really is that good. The second track, 'Slipping', is, if anything, even stronger showcasing the prodigious skills of bassist Jim, and Neil on percussion. Track three 'Remains the Same' is a marked change of pace, with a darker more brooding style, characterised by a slow chunky bass line and yet more excellent drumming.
The band have saved the best till last with the acoustic track 'The Best, Kind Of...' which demonstrates all the maturity of the previous numbers, and also showcases the excellent backing vocals of guitarist Jim. Lots of bands, often quite good ones at that, fall down on their arrangements, but not this lot. The Dreaming Tree are an excellent example of what a combination of talent and imagination can do.
Some of the bands that Tracker has been privileged to review seem to be only minutes away from breaking through to the big time. The dreaming Tree make me wonder why they haven't already. One of the best so far this year.
