Album Review

The Travelling Band – The Big Defreeze

• 25th Aug 2014

Manchester folk rockers The Travelling Band have been around for several years now and have built a fine reputation as an energetic and entertaining live act. So it comes as something of a surprise to realise that the excellent new album The Big Defreeze is only their third release, and the first in almost three years. Produced by Iestyn Polson (Patti Smith, David Bowie) at the iconic Church Studios in London, this album has the wide, panoramic folk feel of the Travelling Band at its best plus the occasional cutting and more rockier edge that enlivens in contrast to the calmer sections.

The opening track Passing Ships is a highlight and captures much of what is good about this band – the immense scope of a sweeping track that starts slowly and builds, the melodic keyboard sections, the great vocal harmonies and finally the explosion into something grand and dramatic. It’s a great way to start an album, and the remaining tracks do well not to feel like a letdown after it.

Another standout is the oddly named 78.8%, which is also grand in scale and develops from an opening featuring beautiful, delicate vocals. There are a range of keyboard sounds, almost becoming ambient, before the pace lifts for the fine conclusion. For The Fallen is the best of the folkier songs, an uptempo acoustic track with an optimistic air and a fine vocal performance.

Garbo is a lovely feelgood track about the benefits of not being along, a sixties texture to the harmonies giving it a great energy. Quicksand starts softly and builds around a crunching guitar riff. Making Eyes has a big anthemic chorus and when the guitars take over it rocks out superbly. Borrowed And Blue also heads firmly into rock territory, the three guitars giving it a massively powerful extended jam for an ending.

The Travelling Band have a well developed sound; their lively mix of folk and rock with touches of a Mancunian Americana is always entertaining. And their songs always seem to be so nicely structured, rising and falling as the different elements of the sound take over. The Big Defreeze is a very good album and one that should remind music lovers of the undoubted talents of this band.

Venue: The Big Defreeze
Support Band: Sideways Saloon