NEWS
EVENTS
Album Review: Revere - 'My Mirror / Your Target'
Indie | Sunday 13th April 2014 | Michael
My Mirror / Your Target is an experimental, multi-instrumental, new-wave rock collection that will appeal to many and none. This may sound absurd, but Revere’s second album appears to channel many artists whose sounds appeal to very particular crowds, without simply settling on one. Many tracks, including album openers I Won’t Blame You and We Won’t Be Here Tomorrow, sound like jacked-up versions of early Editors tracks; dramatic piano chords, pounding drum beats, chanted vocal hooks. Revere pack a powerful punch and these tracks are stuffed with the sort of instrumental interest that was key to the huge success of Arcade Fire. However, as with Editors, the fast-paced arena-rock can eventually become repetitive and tedious. It is at this point that the band’s diversity, through their use of strings, synths and vocal harmonies, maintains interest on the album.
A Road From A Flood and Landlock’d slow the tempo into loveable country-ballad mournings, with equal lashings of The National and Johnny Flynn in Stephen Ellis’ deep vocals. At other times Revere sound like Elbow have been hi-jacked by David Bowie and flown into the Muse headquarters (Solomon Says), whilst the odd Moby/Joy Division/Coldplay love-child may also be found in the movements of melancholic string arrangements, rattling cymbals, and roaring instrumentals (Code, Tadoma). These are huge names to be likened to and Revere undoubtedly hold the potential create their own unique sound, though at this point the multitude of ideas cause the album to clash somewhat.
Certainly, the more delicate and mature tracks such as album finishers What Am I If I’m Not Even Dust and Maybe We Should Step Outside, are far more original and enchanting, taking the foot of the gas to appreciate the musical complexity of the band’s writing and sampling. After all, euphoric synths and epic drums may be explosive live, but only so much of that full-force crashing can be appreciated at home.
At this point My Mirror / Your Target is more of a love/hate collection, though there is impressive talent here that suggests album number three may be something incredible.
7/10
Mike Pickering - @mike_pickering
