Own This Music - Beautiful Music - The Autumns - Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys

The Autumns - Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys

Written by Alex Bostock
Sunday, 09 September 2007
Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys The Autumns are one of the music industries’ best kept secrets, having been around since 1997’s ‘The Angel Pool’, the band have often been on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream with their own brand of shoe-gazing beauty. Now, on their fourth full-length L.P, The Autumns’ have re-written their traditional shoe-gazer background, and mixed it with a hint of punk and new-wave, drawing criticism from both fans and the media! Some have claimed that The Autumns have sold-out, that they are now just like any other indie-rock band in the already over-polluted sea of mediocrity in music, just because they are using alternative chord arrangements, slightly more distorted guitars, and have started making professional music videos! However, The Autumns aren’t like any other indie band out there and they never have been. Unlike every other band, The Autumns have never begged for commercial success, in fact, they have done the opposite and shied away from commercialism. Furthermore, they are a band that cares about the music they are making; they have spent 3 years creating the follow-up to 2004’s self-titled album…and have taken great care to make the album that they wanted - producing the album themselves! This album has a much more experimental edge than previous efforts, as the band mix gorgeous melodies with bursts of distorted guitars and piano, creating an epic wall of sound on some songs, whilst crafting catchy short-songs with memorable choruses on others. Recommended For Listeners Of: Muse, Radiohead, Cocteau Twins, Jeff Buckley, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Explosions In The Sky, The Sound Of Animals Fighting, The Twilight Sad, Lift To Experience, The Smiths, Snow Patrol, The Cure, Editors, The Dears. Pale Saints, Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, Catherine Wheel Release Date: 9th October, 2007 Label / Distributor: Bella Union (UK) / World’s Fair (U.S) Performers: Matthew Kelly – Vocals, Guitar, Frankie Koroshec – Guitar, Dustin Morgan – Bass, Steve Elkins - Drums Production and Engineering: The Autumns Track Reviews 1.Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers The first track (and the shortest on the album!) is a 50-second burst of epic proportions - strings, heavily distorted guitars, crashing cymbals and dramatic lyrics (’now that they love you, they’ll never trust you’) sung in a superb semi-falsetto voice creates perhaps the most epic short-song ever - no lie!!! 2.Boys The pounding drums and edgy guitars of the verse lead into a synth-led chorus that blends with Matt Kelly’s falsetto vocal to create one of the catchiest choruses you are likely to hear! This track has drawn criticism amongst The Autumns’ faithful for throwing away the shoe-gazing elements of the band’s previous work, but the band have simply placed it to one side, focusing on a more experimental sound. Video: The Autumns - Boys 3.Clem Opening heavily, the track soon subsides into an enchanting vocal and guitar performance in the verses, before crashing into another memorable chorus. Both Boys and Clem are different to any previous Autumns’ music, as they are much more immediate, with sing-along choruses that the band only used to pull out once in a blue moon! 4.The Midnight Knock The pace settles to a slow chime on this track; the opening sounding almost like a child’s music box, with Matt Kelly’s layered vocals drifting beautifully over Frankie Koroshec’s guitars - set to full-shoe-gazer mode! It is a short burst of relief after the thundering opening. 5.Killer In Drag With an almost electro type opening, Killer in Drag, sees the drama re-enter, with lyrics such as ‘a bullet in the head’, and the dark imagery of ’strip her to the bone and bind her’…The Autumns can not be accused of doing things by halves! This is a catchy song (with a sing-along vocal refrain simply made up of ‘ohs’!), which could easily gain new followers, particularly amongst fans of Muse and other high-drama bands! 6.Night Music This track is a contender for the best on the album, featuring a gorgeous vocal performance over effect-laden guitars, this is perhaps the most beautiful performance by Matt Kelly, and that’s saying something, considering the songs in his resume! Again, another catchy chorus is present, but this time more tame than the others - this track is a true reflection on how the band can create amazing, dream-like music!!! 7.Only Young Again retaining the effect-laden guitars, but with a much more exotic feel, the distorted premise of earlier songs returns, although once more, with another shift in style for the chorus! 8.Glass Jaw The next contender for ’song of the album’, although nothing like Night Music, it still proves to be one of the album’s most memorable moments!!! It opens with fast paced music and vocals, with bursts of guitar that truly reflect the band’s new experimental direction…and, of course (!), the chorus is another catchy one, with Dustin Morgan’s bass driving the energetic tempo - it’s like The Autumns have discovered a book full of musical hooks!!! 9.Uncle Slim A nice drum intro, along with a very strange keyboard effect, opens this track, before the verse starts with dramatic piano backing. The chorus is, at first, a subtle affair in what is another upbeat song. The track slows, before beginning a dramatic build-up, with a great drum break, until the song climaxes with a heavy chorus - including la-la’s!! 10.The Beautiful Boot This is a short burst of beauty, using dreamy male and female vocals over the chiming glockenspiel and bell backing - before a marching drum and slightly distorted guitar draw the song to a close. A gorgeous shoe-gazing moment! 11.Adelaide Perhaps the weakest on the album, or at least, I first thought so…it is much more of a grower than the others. Adelaide follows the same formula of earlier songs, a slow verse leading to distorted breaks - with Steve Elkins’ drums once again being a key feature of the music, driving the song into an effect laden break - it is almost as if The Autumns have simply turned up the tempo on their previous slower, shoe-gazer songs!!! 12.Oh My Heart Closing the album in style, the epic nature of the first track is re-introduced right at the end! The song bursts straight into the chorus, another catchy sing-along, before breaking down into The Autumns trademark distorted pandemonium as seen on previous tracks such as ‘The End’. A further heavy chorus descends into a sweet and soft organ break - Matt Kelly’s vocals barely a whisper! The madness of the first three minutes is contrasted with the beauty of this slow-paced break - before the guitar riff breaks the tempo, as the song bursts back to life, with layer upon layer of guitar…until the album comes to a shuddering halt. Why We Recommend This? The Autumns have crafted an album that is both experimental and unexpected; creating a new style that is a great departure from their previous albums. Although this has received some negative criticism, it is unfair to view this album as a shoe-gazer album, as it is not, and that is not what the band intended. ‘Fake Noise…’ has been produced in the hope of offering a different side to the band, by blending their traditional style with a more edgy and alternative element, which is exactly what the album does. Unfortunately, due to preconceived perceptions, the album has been slated by some critics, who have obviously ignored what the band have tried to do, and who have decided to lump them in with other generic indie bands. This is disappointing, as The Autumns have produced a great album, not flawless; but an album that you can listen to over and over, discovering new elements to the music that you had not noticed before. A further credit must be given to Steve Elkins, who’s drumming dominates the album with its skill and precision. However, it would seem that the band are once again going to be ignored by the mass market, but it is them who are missing out, as this is certainly one of the albums of 2007 – at least for me anyway!!! Listen Official Website Myspace Videos Video: The Autumns - Boys Buy The Autumns - Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys Bella Union Brief Artist Biography Country: United States City: Los Angeles Year Formed: Early 90s The Autumns are a Los Angeles four-piece, who have been releasing records since 1996’s ‘Suicide at Strell Park E.P’. Lead singer Matthew Kelly and guitarist Frankie Koroshec first met in 1992, becoming friends due to a love of the Manchester bands, The Smiths and The Stone Roses, whose influence can be heard in The Autumns’ music. Signing with Risk Records, the band produced two albums whilst with them, 1997’s ‘The Angel Pool’ and 1999’s ‘In the Russet Gold of this Vain Hour’, both of which gained much critical acclaim, whilst helping the band in becoming one of the most promising acts in the U.S. The Autumns Furthermore, the band were forced into the spotlights of MTV, appearing to be on the verge of a break into the mainstream, until Risk Records collapsed, just before the release of ‘In the Russet Gold…’ (which was produced by one of the band’s idols, the Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde). The band saw this as an opportunity to try something different, resulting in the 50’s inspired collection of love songs ‘Le Carillon E.P’ in 2001, whilst also releasing two smaller E.Ps, ‘Covers’ and ‘Gift’, both of which were limited edition. After being signed by Raymonde’s record label, Bella Union, the band released their self-titled album in 2004, which received much praise in the British media, due to lead singer Matthew Kelly’s beautiful falsetto, and the epic nature of the music. After spending a long time touring the album, the band were eager to record the follow-up, 2007’s ‘Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys’, a great departure in style from their previous work. For More Information Official Website Wikipedia Bella Union
Last Updated ( Friday, 19 October 2007 )

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