White Sails - White Sails
by Anthony Strutt
published: 29 / 6 / 2013
Label:
Russka
Format: CD
intro
Vibrant and diverse debut album from San Francisco trio, the new band of ex-Mellow Drunk singer and guitarist Leigh Gregory and former Dora Flood bassist Ville Vilpponen
White Sails consists of ex-Mellow Drunk singer and guitarist Leigh Gregory and former Dora Flood bassist Ville Vilpponen, along with Ville’s brother Jaakko on drums. Both Leigh and and Ville are long-term figures in the San Francisco music scene. They started writing last year and this new album is the fruits of last summer’s labours. ‘The Turning of the Tide’, which is a strong acoustic number, opens the album. Leigh’s vocals sound on it like they have braved a few battles over the years, while a second guitar drives it in a Crazy Horse manner. On ‘Dare to Shine’ Leigh’s vocals – which like on much of this album are reminiscent of the Auteurs’ and Black Box Recorder’s Luke Haines - are more hushed, while the drums sound like they are played with brushes. George Harrison-style guitars weave in and out of the mix, and occasional touches of piano add to its charm. ‘Slipping Away’ starts off with a 1970’s middle-of-the-road sound, but it becomes much more progressive and hypnotic as it moves along. ‘All of My Days’ is like an exuberant Auteurs number, and Leigh’s guitar solo on it recollects a fiery Will Sergeant. ‘Years’ opens up in ‘Harvest'-era Neil Young style while a second slide guitar adds country sadness to the tune. Halfway in that slide guitar goes backwards giving the track an element of something from the Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ before it returns to its ‘Harvest’-style roots. ‘Departed’ sounds like a perky Bunnymen acoustic track fronted by Haines, and ‘By Your Side’ recollects a mystical George Harrison at the time of his 1974 solo album, ‘Dark Horse’. A summery feel flows from the music while Leigh’s vocal on it is like a lazy Tom Verlaine. ‘Sunday Afternoon’ has a lovely, lazy air. ‘Just One Wish’ has a pleasant mid-70s flow, and ‘Seaside’, which closes the album, is a well-balanced mix of the Auteurs, the Velvets and Neil Young. A first-rate album.
Track Listing:-
1 The Turning of the Tide2 Dare to Shine
3 Slipping Away
4 All of My Days
5 Years
6 Departed
7 By Your Side
8 Sunday Afternoon
9 Just One Wish
10 Seaside
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/whitesailsband/Label Links:-
http://ruskaproductions.com/https://www.youtube.com/user/RuskaRecords
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart