published: 22 /
1 /
2002
I haven’t been listening to Chamberlain all that long to be honest, so perhaps this choice will prove flawed in years to come. But right now it is my favourite album. There are other contenders but I won’t list them because that might just make the final
Article
I haven’t been listening to Chamberlain all that long to be honest, so perhaps this choice will prove flawed in years to come. But right now it is my favourite album. There are other contenders but I won’t list them because that might just make the final choice feel less important. I knew I would love this album as soon as I picked it up because the sleeve is so striking and, dare I say it, beautiful. But its impact is nothing when you compare it to the actual music.
The album begins with 'Try For Thunder'. There was actually debate in the studio between the producer and singer David Moore over this being the opening song. David, however, won ! It was chosen because Dave wanted the album to begin with these powerful opening lines:
“I haven’t smiled in a long time, but I’ve learned how to look impressed – Learned to lose the dreams I had when I was at my best – When I was a boy on the back lawn, faith like a gun I’d find – and be it loaded or not I’d keep it at my side.”
The rest of the album continues to be similarly melancholic, and while nothing can quite match these opening lines, lyrically brilliant. David Moore, to his fans, is the only modern lyricist capable of matching Bob Dylan. His lyrics are never quite as above our heads as Dylan’s but certainly impress in terms of poetic power. Moore himself is a huge Dylan fan, and it isn’t hard to draw comparisons between his style and some of Dylan’s more focused lyrics (especially the 'Blood On The Tracks' album)The album is built around these initial words and without them surely wouldn’t be as impressive.
Chamberlain began life in the early nineties as a hardcore band. Then called Split Lip, the band created some of the greatest hardcore music of all time despite being teenagers aged between fifteen and seventeen. As they matured they decided Split Lip wasn’t such a great name, and changed it to Chamberlain. With Fate’s Got A Driver', their second album and their first as Chemberlain, they pioneered the current emo genre. They were still a hardcore band but had added emotion and intensity. In 1998 they shocked their fanbase with this album. Years spent on the road had allowed them to develop an interest in American folk and country music. This led to a dramatic change in direction, but allowed the band to grow as musicians.
The album is still a rock record. Drummer Chuck Walker (now a member of New End Original) still powers the band with his huge drum sound (some have said that he is the best drummer they have ever heard) and Adam Rubenstein is able to play up to his status as a true guitar hero, although his playing is arguably less innovative. David Moore is a truly brilliant singer. His vocals are slightly reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen, but it is hardly worth comparing him to anyone. He can carry the rocking 'Mountain Of A Heart' and the tender piano ballad 'Racing Cincinnati' with equal ease. A nice falsetto is also demonstrated briefly on 'Crush You', the album’s most melodic moment.
I mentioned that it had originally alienated their fanbase. Now though it has won them over (a remarkable achievement – making hardcore punkers listen to a country rock record), and that is a measure of how brilliant this really is. Each song is absolutely stunning, and 'The Moon My Saddle' is perfectly structured. Every musician is at the height of their powers, especially guitarist Adam Rubinstein who provides a series of unforgettable guitar solos. The addition of keyboards and Dylan style organs is also perfect. It is an integral element of several of the songs but never feels overdone. Despite the huge artistic progression it never feels as if anything hasn’t came naturally to the band.
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