Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Do not adjust the volume, do not let someone come into the room without your express permission and under no circumstances let them talk until the last exhale of breathe has left your body, do not engage with anything other than the stereo, do not go gently into that good night; sit down and wonder just how dull life without groups such as Albany Down in your life would be, how monotonous existence would be if The Outer Reach was just a figment of some star crossed dream.
The Outer Reach, the boundary of what is known and understood, everything beyond that point is in the hands of the lacklustre and the deadly and it is to the every group that renews their acquaintance with the listener, every artist worth their weight in vinyl and semi quaver, that they must try and push the boundary just that little further, or at least hold the line and ever ready tide in the constant war on mediocrity.
Like a prairie dog keeping eternal vigil on the darkness that shrouds the desert, Albany Down are in full alert mode, they grab the torch and shine it brightly into the distance, they throw Rock through the night and wait for the echo, for the resulting crash of lyrical comprehension to come wandering out with hands outstretched and a broad smile of recognition and friendship upon its face.
It is in the power of the band’s music that they seemingly cherish every moment, the lyric and the song offering a solace but one that is loud, boisterous but one with depth and feeling attached to it.
Each song is captivating, a forceful sign of intent and ones that never waver in their commitment to the relationship between listener and musicianship. Track such as Do You Want Me Now, Like A Bullet, the in tune with the times Revolution and Look What You’ve Done To Me offer a slice of what life can be like, whether through the power between two people or the influence of external forces; it is a life that is worth living, especially if you are prepared to go beyond the self imposed border of The Outer Reach.
A dramatic album, one based on the concept of heady, piercing and strident terms, The Outer Reach is a must for the connoisseur and the the probationary new kid alike.
Ian D. Hall