Tin Spirits debut album Wired To Earth

Cost: £6.95 from www.tinspirits.co.uk/

Opening track Glimmer reflects its name with the sparkling, twinkling guitar heralding the fairyland of musical adventure that awaits. The glimmer of hope in a dark world continues into the number And Go, with former XTC guitarist Dave Gregory’s stylised guitar recreating waves rolling in from the sea on the album’s magical shores.

All the melodies stay in the head not so much as haunting harmonies as a happy memory of sun-drenched cornfields, dusty summer lanes with cornflowers and poppies.

And Go is in three parts and changes mid way to power driven guitar, more edge and gritty. We feel dark clouds are looming. It feels close, with thunder in the air from some masterly drumming by Dougie Mussard. The tension builds within the guitars from Dave and Dan Steinhardt until lead singer Mark Kilminster’s towering vocals soars across the track and the sun breaks through. The song closes on a beam of light as the guys return to the sparkling glitter of twinkly guitar.

Back In NYC is the only cover on the CD and begins on a heart beat rhythm, showcasing the lush rock vocals of Mark’s wide range and sharp diction. The song is beautifully crafted, a Mexican wave of sounding falling and rising and following the path recorded originally by Genesis.

Broken has Dan and Dave create some breath-catching riffs. It is such a pretty song that is belied by the title and has all the swagger and panache of a soundtrack written for a movie or TV drama. A waterfall guitar at its centre drifts effortlessly back into river of melody tumbling and splashing across the rocks of Dougie’s machete-style drums.

The last few parts of the album include Chasing Shadows which has a pure prong rock beat, instantly recognizable and impossible to stand still to. There is a gutsy finale with blockbuster guitar and close harmony backing singing in It Comes To Light. The whole album has that feel good factor in bucket loads and the satisfaction of a story well told. - Flicky Harrison