It's been a busy year for Catfish and the Bottlemen. The band have exceeded the expectations of their record label and have gone on to become one of the biggest breakout bands of 2014. Now, they're gearing up for the release of their debut album, The Balcony, which is about to blow things even wider for the four lads who are just getting started.
The record doesn't shy away from being a ballsy, no fucks given kind of release and it's demonstrated perfectly through the authentic lyrics of every song on The Balcony. Nothing is hidden from us, it seems, and it's because of the way they work that it's easy to feel a connection between us and McCann while he fronts the band.
It seems fitting that the single that got the buzz started opens the album and returns as a reworked anthem - although it's not the only "banger" on the record. Homesick is a familiar track to any fan of the band but is perfectly suited as a calm before the storm kind of song as the attitude in Van McCann's vocals take lead from the beginning, right to the end of the debut. The crisp sound of guitars and their riffs battle against the heavy roars of the drums at points, but together they pierce the air around you and cause an almost catastrophic blow to a lot of the modern music we're forced upon.
Although this becomes a continuous theme right until the final track, Tyrants, there's an almost magical moment halfway through when we're subjected to a rare, stripped back Hourglass which sees McCann's vocals backed by almost nothing except an acoustic guitar. What matters though is that this doesn't seem like a break from a riot of sound, but a case that is made of talent that we have not yet seen from any of the singles already released. I'm craving your calls like a soldier's wife he sings - it's almost a plea to someone out in the world to see a different side to the young front man. Luckily we're able to witness it too and realise that although they don't things to seriously, there are times when they can show the importance of music and it's real meaning.
Two minutes of a luxurious realisation that Catfish and the Bottlemen could be one of the best UK bands at this moment of time, we're then suddenly thrown back into superbly crafted guitar music. Business backs the argument that every song on their first album is an anthem - and a big one at that. From a listen to this, without knowing the band or anything about them, you could say they're stadium ready. Their sound could fill huge spaces and hundreds of thousands of people would shout every lyric back. It's that kind of album.
It's at this point somebody encourages you to buy this incredible album that is definitely worth every penny, but it's the songs like Kathleen, Fallout and Cocoon that do the talking and push you to fall in to that trap of addiction to the band. This could be one of the best debuts released this year and it sets them up for a huge headline tour which they embark on in the coming months.
The Balcony is out on September 15th. Stand out tracks on this record are Cocoon, Hourglass, Business and Sidewinder.
Rating out of 10: 8/10
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Listen / [WEBSITE]
Although this becomes a continuous theme right until the final track, Tyrants, there's an almost magical moment halfway through when we're subjected to a rare, stripped back Hourglass which sees McCann's vocals backed by almost nothing except an acoustic guitar. What matters though is that this doesn't seem like a break from a riot of sound, but a case that is made of talent that we have not yet seen from any of the singles already released. I'm craving your calls like a soldier's wife he sings - it's almost a plea to someone out in the world to see a different side to the young front man. Luckily we're able to witness it too and realise that although they don't things to seriously, there are times when they can show the importance of music and it's real meaning.
Two minutes of a luxurious realisation that Catfish and the Bottlemen could be one of the best UK bands at this moment of time, we're then suddenly thrown back into superbly crafted guitar music. Business backs the argument that every song on their first album is an anthem - and a big one at that. From a listen to this, without knowing the band or anything about them, you could say they're stadium ready. Their sound could fill huge spaces and hundreds of thousands of people would shout every lyric back. It's that kind of album.
It's at this point somebody encourages you to buy this incredible album that is definitely worth every penny, but it's the songs like Kathleen, Fallout and Cocoon that do the talking and push you to fall in to that trap of addiction to the band. This could be one of the best debuts released this year and it sets them up for a huge headline tour which they embark on in the coming months.
The Balcony is out on September 15th. Stand out tracks on this record are Cocoon, Hourglass, Business and Sidewinder.
Rating out of 10: 8/10
Follow / [TWITTER]
Listen / [WEBSITE]