NORTHERN ALLIANCE
for the grains of sand
Release Date: 14/11/2006
'for the grains of sand' finds the band in robust fettle. it's their attempt at a big hi-fi rock record. if the fi isn't hi enough for you, that's a shame, because this is probably as hi as their fi is ever gonna get. if you think the fi here is too hi, don't worry, they've got a much lower-fi fourth record coming out early next year. if you think their fi is just right, that's fine, cos so do they. the record was created in an east lothian loft, and this time round the band's beer intake decreased, their wine intake stayed level, but their whisky intake went through the roof. the album is the band's most diverse record by far (mind, they've been compared to everyone from low to elo in the past, so take your pick), with everything from the rough and tumble rock of 'shock of the new' to the epic indie anthem 'line in the sand', the sinister melancholy of 'calgary' and the sweet girlish lovefoolery of 'our lives are ruled by tides'. the album's title is a slightly sappy reference to the size of two of the band's embryonic offspring when the record was started. sadly, the band have taken so long to make the album that those grains of sand have turned into 25-pound tantruming, toy-grabbing, fighting toddlers. much of the album is about the wide-eyed terror of parenthood, but there's also room for cheery little numbers about wasted years, abandoned relationships, obsession with death and suicide. but ultimately for the grains of sand, as its title suggests, is a record of hope, a tiny shout out for all life's overlooked little guys and girls. cd only on 45b and fence records.
| CD code: 45b02 | 9.99 GBP |
