The latest offering from the Glasgow based rockers offers something for everyone as they deliver a meaty, thundering, popular rock album
Sinking Cities
Sinking Cities are a Glasgow based rock band with a strong, affluent following in their native Scotland. Their debut album Drownout the World offers listeners a fantastic blend of popular modern rock combined with softer songs that perfectly balance the nine-track release out.
Drownout the World the latest offering from this Glasgow quintet is certainly a positive step for the band as they venture into a more mainstream, positively produced world for their music that showcases their talents across the board of instruments. More than capable percussion comes in the form of bassist Franko Casey and furious drumming from Iain Duncan who’s heartbeat behind the guitars, keyboard and vocals of Paul Doonan, Joe Scott and Ewan McGowan all combine to create a brilliantly melodic popular rock sound that varies across the songs in both content and playing style.
Opening the album are the tracks, “All I found was this”, “Consenting Adults”, “Fillin up Space” and “Misled Inventor”, thrashing rock tracks that introduce the listener to the complex harmonics and felt subject matters of the band. In a market as competitive as the popular rock scene, it is often difficult for a band to distinguish themselves from the rest of the over saturated bands currently making their name and money from this type of music. However, with these opening numbers, Sinking Cities lay down a firm foundation for the rest of the album that pricks up the listeners’ ears and keeps them hooked through to the end.
Although predominantly a popular rock album, Drownout the World also features a number of tracks that move away from the more thrashing sound that the market is famous for. “Sweaty Betty” has a fantastically grungy sound to it, Casey and Duncan’s percussion adding a great, thundering beat to the song as listeners are taken on a sleazy, sweaty journey of nightclubbing, dancing, drinking and womanising that would make even the hardest of rockers proud. The overall sound of the track perfectly combined with the subject matter and more than truthful lyrics creates a terrific song that everybody, old and new fans to the band and scene can enjoy.
The poignant and deeply emotional final track “End of an Era” perfectly rounds out the album. This song, concerning wasted youth and angst at what might have been, sends a chill up the listeners’ spine. The combination of all the artists on this track shows how well they have gelled together in coming up with this album as a whole. The eerily haunting guitars and excellent solo on “End of an Era” aptly finishes the album and displays the true potential of the group and what their music can do.
Jonathan Whitelaw
Check out Sinking Cities mysapce for downloads and band updates: http://www.myspace.com/sinkingcitiesglasgow
