THE UNIVERSAL - review added 10th May 2010
Album Review: The Universal (self-titled) (2010)
For fans of: Indie Mod Rock... and Paul Weller-isms
Liverpool band The Universal - Terry Shaughnessy on guitar and vocals, Piet Koehorst on guitar, Dave Ormsby on drums, and Gary Chambers on bass - may look like a bunch of painters dressed up to go to the pub, but don't let the visuals put you off. This really is a very good, wonderfully classy album.
Songwriter Terry Shaughnessy's love of mod culture shines through like the blazing sun on a cloudy morning. He wears his influences on his sleeve both in writing and performing...but in this case that's no bad thing. The overwhelming feel is of a rocked-up Paul Weller in one of his better moments. Terry's vocals are almost identical to the big man. The remainder of the music - with its heavy sixties vibe, bright female backing vocals and shrewdly chosen lyrical content - is first class.
Best moments? All of it really. Every song on the album could bother the lower end of the charts, and every one would grace any half-decent radio station. There perhaps aren't any hall-of-fame tracks here, but so many of them get close it's hard to care. The album is a demonstration of expert music creation from start to finish, and it's hard to find anything to criticize. Yes, it's a touch derivative, and it could have done with one REALLY MASSIVE track to get itself noticed, but that's all.
If this album isn't a raging success it'll be a travesty.
Check out... All of it.
Track List:
01. Revolution
02. Shine On
03. Day In Day Out
04. Volcano
05. Stand Up
06. It Ain't What You Know
07. Get Yourself Together
08. Can You feel It
09. I Believe
10. Let It Burn
Label: Diffusion Music
Artist's website(s): MySpace
