Ok, I have to admit I have never really been a very big fan of Whitmore as in the past I have always found them pretty cheesy and wasn’t at all impressed with their last album on Moon Ska. However, I did find myself quite enjoying them last year at one of their gigs and they were sounding pretty fresh so I went into listening to this album truing to forget my previous judgements of the band.
For the most part this is quite a good album with a lot of good tunes and a few I recognise from their live shows and the good points definitely outweigh the bad points. I have never really liked Jay’s drumming but on this album it really seems to shine through and sounds amazing. He has definitely upped his game and is now drumming confidently and sounding sublime for it. This is definitely an area the band have improved on and definitely deserve credit for it as the first few times I saw them live I felt that the drumming was really letting the band down and making them sound worse than they really are. One of the tracks I feel has really come together well on this CD with drums, guitars, bas, and vocals all sounding perfect is ‘Flicking The Bean.’ This track has a bit of a Ska vibe and the band drive through it frantically making way for an awesome tune that would definitely get the pit moving and the Ska kids skanking. I like the feel of this tune and think that it is probably one of the greatest songs the band have ever produced.
The track that kicks the CD off, ‘Too Long Too Late’ is another amazing tune. It has a great vibe, and could easily become a hit with its extreme bounce and exciting feel. It is an energetic opener for the CD and really gets you in the mood for another helping of Whitmore. Again, the drumming on this track is awesome and the band really are sounding a lot better for their newfound drumming ability. The band probably couldn’t have picked a better tune to kick start the CD as this Punk little number really hypes you up for more. Another tune I feel has come out well is ‘Fighting For Today.’ This track really does sound great and it definitely feels like the band are putting their all into it. Whitmore really seem to be enjoying their music now and their music seems to have been given an injection of life and excitement.
If you have not been a fan of this band in the past the I still think you ought to check this CD out as I wasn’t a fan before hearing this CD but it has definitely converted me with its exciting, upbeat tracks which are sure to put a smile on the face of many people across the country. It is definitely an improvement on previous material they have released and as time goes on the band are definitely getting better and gelling better as a band. They’ve always been better than Uncle Brian ever were or ever will be, but this new album has taken the band onto a whole new level.
Rating:
UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
