All In The Past

by Bateleurs

Out now and available at £6.99 from www.bateleurs.co.uk or www.reverbnation.com/bateleurs.

New Day Rising sums up this album right from the off with its feelgood, sunshiney sound.

My favourite track is Go React which is a gorgeous blues tune. The dreamy guitar flows like melted butter on hot, golden brown toast and the gritty vocals from Sean Amor and Daryl Ball are the sweet, tempting honey spread on top. The whole song has the hairs on the back of the neck rising.

The singer/songwriters are joined in the band by Chris Mac on drums and Nick Wall on bass.

The boys have multi instrument skills and a gift of capturing the spirit of a story and translating it through their music. This is most obvious in Two Steps Back, which has a lovelty haunting touch from the sound of the pipes, great close harmonies and beautiful mandolin yet it remains a happy tune with a foot tapper beat.

In total contrast is the ballad Hello Girl which has some strong drums and a darker more sombre feel.

The guys have been compared to Mumford and Son and I can see why as they have a folk rock tinge to even the most poppy numbers on the album such as Girl With The Cartoon Eyes and Rainy Days.

In Ghosts there is a full sound with Dylanesque vocals and wistful overtones. The heart-pounding gravelly vocals are back in full flow in And It Feels Like which is a folk rock track that seems to glow in the warmth of the setting sun.

Permanent Winter has a more rocky base, it is edgier and powerful with again some lush guitar.

Ordinary Day closes the album with a Beatles sounding track and it is the song which shows very clearly the hand of Sam Bates in the production. It is a gentle sigh, a soft whisper and tinkling keyboards as it sends us away with a smile.

- Flicky Harrison