Album title: Volume 1
Artist: BNQT
Genre: Indie Rock
Nationality: Various
Release date: April 28
Position in Discography: Debut
Estimated Rating:
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.10
Ordinarily, I tend to frown on supergroups, as they're usually just an extension of super-egos, and this may very well be another, but with members of Franz Ferdinand, Granddaddy, Band of Horses and Travis involved, well, it might be worth the time. The opener is certainly a kicker, a sort of powerful blues rocker which puts me in mind of Bowie's “Jean Genie” to an extent, also Morrison's “Road House Blues” and the piano on “Unlikely Force” gives me a Bruce Hornsby feeling, while the vocal harmonies are pure CSNY/Eagles. Some beautiful orchestration in “100 Million Miles to Go”, a real standout. Unfortunately, neither “Mind of a Man” (the only one penned solo by Fran Healy of Travis, make of that what you will) or the weird “Hey Banana” are particularly good, and bring the good feeling I was initially getting from this album to a screeching halt.
It recovers well with “Failing at Feeling”, another ballad which sounds right off The Man Who, with more fine strings accompaniment, but then they ruin it. Eric Pullido compared this band to “a poor man's Traveling Wilburys”, and on “LA On My Mind” they take this literally. It doesn't work. It's also the second written by Healy; thought there was only one. I was wrong. Should have been only one though. I mean, it's not ****, but it's really really derivative. Closer is excellent.
Hard to rate this really: at some points it's ****ing beautiful, at some points ****ing awful with some meh in between. I think I retain my opinion of the supergroup: not needed. This album has a few decent tracks though, that can't be denied, just not enough of them to make it really worth your while.
Check out more from this artist? I might
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes
Actual Rating: