Dublin boys' debut album.
Dublin quartet The Immediate boast of four vocalists, three drummers, three guitarists and three bassists, illustrating that they are certainly no slackers in the talent department. Employing something of a guerrilla approach to promotion, the band threw their demo onstage at a Manic Street Preachers gig, and gave Beck a copy alongside his purchase at a Dublin bookshop. The demo also found its way to the attentive ears of indie demi-gods Fierce Panda, who promptly released the band's first single in 2005.
All of which creates an amount of healthy expectation surrounding The Immediate, particularly after reading the quote: "This album is for anyone who has ever felt apart from the crowd. That's about as specific as we can be. If you want to understand fully, just listen to the songs". So it all seems promising, yet opening track 'Aspects' fails to leave an impressive, and by the end of it I already regard the lyrics as repetitive. The following song, 'Lonely, Locked Up' is filled with a swaggering, Britpop-era Oasis attitude, and its snarling indie amounts to little more than a forgettable local support band playing the basement of a dingy and cramped venue, supporting an equally forgettable but more well known local band.
So far, so predictable. 'Fashion or Faith' has a similar demeanour with its twist of Arctic Monkeys meets Razorlight in the form of the shouted vocals, making me think of some drunken lads starting a knees up as the pub closes. 'Big Sad Eyes' is an attempt at a tempo change, with a softer song about "seeing my baby walking round here lately" and other trite lyrics. While I'm thankful for the change of pace I detect very little sincerity here and the trumpet solo seems misjudged I'm sad to say.
'Don't You Ever' is another brash song in the style of the former, this time reminiscent of The Vines. 'Stop and Remember' opens with the amusing line "if you've ever had a head-on collision that you didn't feel, you'll know what I mean", well, I hope that someone out there may relate, because this sentiment leaves me puzzled. I'm not sure if this is an attempt to go deeper and examine feelings of anguish, if it is the message isn't getting through too clearly let's say. I can imagine though, that should the band manage to build a fan base this song, with its spirit of connection in the repeated line "do you know what I mean?" could easily become their anthem.
'Let This Light Fill Your Eyes' is a more subtle song which pairs a softer vocal approach with a strong, pulsating drum rhythm. The monotonous lyrical patterns continue, but this song provides a small highlight in a rather directionless album. Similarly the understated title track 'In Towers & Clouds' is a welcome surprise, and has a nicely catchy bass line.
This album has a couple of worthy moments but the general feel is that The Immediate have severely buckled amidst the weight of their self –aggrandising hype. Perhaps if they make a second album they will have refined their sound, but right now this is nothing to remember.