○○○●●I'M A massive fan of Reef - the band are even a proud owner of a Classic Collection LP in the form of Replenish - so it's hard for me not to compare Yard to their body of work.
StringerBessant, a duo of distinctive Reef vocalist Gary Stringer and Reef bassist Jack Bessant, is undoubtedly a different beast - but also undoubtedly a lesser beast at present.
Because the almost entirely acoustic act come across as a bit wet and wussy for nearly all of the album.
Things only pick up around track 10 onwards, songs like Lord Please Come, Make It and Song Worth Singing, tracks tellingly are the ones which finally hark back to their more exuberant predecessor.
Hey, This is a diversion from Reef - that's the point! ..Gary and Jack are talented enough to go explore a little diversity - as Reef did actually. The Reef albums are all different, they didn't just churn out the same re-vamped stuff over and over, now did they? Yard stands up on it's own two feet (..OK, four feet ;-) ) but it's not there to be compared to Reef. If you want to hear Stringer&Bessant rock out again, check out THEM IS ME, the guys other project.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, and agree Yard needs a few listens, no it's not Reef, but if you give it a chance, you'll find it's a real grower!
Errr...Jack is REEFs Bass player........ ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo he is, my mistake. If you e-mail me a postal address, Mikeymonkey, to Isaac_Ashe@MRN.co.uk, I'll post you out a few used promo CDs to say thanks for your proof-reading of this post.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's been about half a year now, so I pledge I'll give the album another spin or two, see if my opinion's changed or not.