Reigning Sound – Love and Curses
Eagle-eared Steve Show devotees will recall that I played a Reigning Sound track (Funny Thing) around Valentines Day this year – a brooding meditation on the vagaries of love, or something. It wasn’t an ideal example of the Reigning Sound sound as they deal mostly in shiny garage rock nuggets, of which there are plenty on their new album Love And Curses (In The Red Records).
Not as fuzzy, scary or shouty as previous release Too Much Guitar, and with the addition of some fruity organ and plinky piano, this could be their breakthrough record.
Indeed, The Bells is positively Springsteenian in its yearning, and there are no seven minute sax solos in the live show…
Dangerous Game is given a full studio recording and a new title after first appearing as Girl on the cracking live album At Goner Records, and rattles along at a fair pace.
The closer, Banker And A Liar, is a curious sea-shanty affair, pulled off with such grace and warmth that it doesn’t feel remotely out of place.
For newcomers to main man Greg Cartwright and his Reigning Sound, this is their most complete album to date, offering up a polished example of what he does best – classic songwriting, a great ear for a tune, and a warm gravelly voice that yells as well as it croons.
And oh, you lucky people, once you’re done with this record you can work back through the old albums – Too Much Guitar, Live at Goner, Timebomb Highschool, Home For Orphans, Live At Maxwells, Break Up Break Down. And then GC’s previous bands The Oblivions and Compulsive Gamblers. How I wish I were you.
Reigning Sound, Sitting Down
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