EIGHTH WAVE - review added 29th June 2009
Album Review: Last Night's Hero (2009)
For fans of: Modern Rock... and boy bands with a little bit extra
Eighth Wave come from Wigan in the UK and play a sort of rocked up pop music. They are similar in theory to bands like McFly and Busted, although much closer to spunky AOR than pre-teen fantasy. The closest comparison would be the now defunct Rooster - another young charty band with a bagful of class and talent.
Featured on Last Night's Hero are Si Roddam (vocals and guitar), Matt Ashton (bass), Chris Wainwright (drums and backing vocals) and Scott Steele (lead guitar).
Opening track 'Days & Night' eases the listener into the album gently. It isn't a mind-blowingly great track but it's warm and friendly like a teddy bear on a radiator. 'All In Your Head' is a cool bass-led soundtrack with a fantastic sing along chorus. You could easily imagine it blasting out from a trendy radio station on a hot summer's evening.
'24/7' is just as good. Maybe the verses aren't quite so catchy, but the bridge and chorus are superb. The term feel-good has rarely been more accurate. 'Incomplete' is a slower pop-tinged ballad with a wonderful sound. Si Roddam's voice is very fresh and clean sounding but he still manages to envelop the song with a hint of soul. The acoustic lead guitar works well too.
'Find Your Way Back' has a modern punk vibe - akin to the songs you get in films like American Pie. It's mightily impressive for a few lads from Wigan (rather than the West Coast of America). The final track is a bonus acoustic version of 'Incomplete', a song which is mostly acoustic in the first place. Go figure.
Last Night's Hero is a good album with a number of catchy tunes. It has its lesser moments, but if you like modern rock, or feel it's time to move on from manufactured boy bands to something a touch more intelligent, you should check Eighth Wave out.
Check out...Si's voice. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Track List:
1. Days & Night
2. All In Your Head
3. 24/Seven
4. If...
5. Incomplete
6. Heartbreaker
7. Till We Die
8. Find Your Way Back
9. Waiting For Tomorrow
10. Worlds Collide
11. Incomplete (Acoustic Version)
Artist's website(s): Eighth Wave , MySpace
