A Curious Mix of Tunes
The Amber Light are described as Germany’s most promising prog rock band; singer Luis Gabbiani cites Van der Graaf Generator and Genesis as influences but the prog element on ‘Play’ isn’t entirely obvious beyond the ambitious length of the songs. Having cleared out what the band are not, what they are is probably one of the most interesting alternative German bands around at the moment. Their tight, fractious rock style is laden with finger-itchingly frantic guitarwork and hefty crescendos. Opener, ‘Moody’ alone is some 5 and a half minutes long and packs in some rippling guitar harmonies, chugging chords and charismatic vocals.
There’s more than a hint of Placebo about tunes like, ‘All Over Soon’; perhaps it’s Gabbiani’s unique fairly high-pitched drawling vocals or the edgy rhythm but there’s a fairly undeniable comparison between the two alternative rock bands.
‘Waste’ is a softer and more reflective tune with gently reassuring vocals that dance between epic, taught choruses. It’s an interesting tune but feels very much in the style of bands like JJ72 that achieved success on this side of the channel in the late 90’s and early 00’s; nowadays, however, the style feels a little staid. After the initial force of the first few tracks there are several mediocre indie tunes that feel somewhat wimpy in comparison. There are some pretty soundscapes on tunes like, ‘The Deep Twist’ but this really feels more like ambient background music than something to engage a listener.
‘Fire Walk With Me’ ups the tempo with a tense rhythm and fierce chorus that crashes violently out of nowhere, a brutal guitar riff is the star of the piece while the percussion batters your eardrums with pounding precision. ‘Play’ is one of the most memorable tracks, blending the band’s penchant for melodic, epic soundscapes with a bold rhythm section and driving tempo. ‘No Love Lost’ features crushing, industrial and gothic rhythm that seems to suffocate the listener in a rapturous moment; it's what you'd typically expect from a German rock band but very well done.
The Amber Light definitely have an interesting sound that’s pretty unique on today’s music scene but there are a fair few pretty mediocre tunes amongst the gems on this album. This is the band’s second album and could be victim to the curse of the second release; however there are plenty of energetic, high quality tunes that could certainly gain the band fans.