City Reign - Another Stop

by Dave Goodwin

published: 9 / 3 / 2013

Label: Car Boot Records
Format: CD

Immensely promising debut album from Manchester-based band City Reign, which draws comparisons with the National at one level and Oasis at another

Review

City Reign are the songwriting duo of Chris Bull and Mike Grice plus Ryan Ashton and Duncan Bolton. Chris and Mike met six years ago at a Ryan Adams concert at the Manchester Academy, shortly after they had both moved north from London. Having spent some years writing and playing in other bands, they formed City Reign together in late 2008, playing on the name of the Adams’ song, ‘City Rain, City Streets’. Over the past three years they have transformed from a bedroom project into a recording and touring band, who have had the pleasure of recording with the likes of Grammy winner Dan Parry in London’s Metropolis Studios. Whilst doing this they have also set up an independent record label, Car Boot Records, and, after releasing their debut single ‘Making Plans’ in September 2010, received rave reports from Steve Lamacq who listed them as one of his favourite new bands. City Reign released the follow up singles, ‘Out in the Cold’ and ‘Daybreak', which both received great reviews from online press, including a recommendation from 'The Independent', and set them up for releasing the EP ‘Numbers for Street Names’ in November 2011 and undertaking their first tour, which included a trip to Amsterdam for their first gig in mainland Europe. Taking in other influences like the National, City Reign have since finished recording their full-length album, 'Another Step', with producer Sam Jones (Band on the Wall, Alex Turner) in Salford’s Sacred Trinity Church. An unusual technique you might think, but by using the natural acoustics of the church Jones has captured the best of the band. The first single, ‘Ahead of Ideas’, was released in November 2012. Its waspish guitar mixed with a great drum beat and guitar melodies are a good start for a debut track. Its strong backing vocals and soaring guitar at the end is perfect evidence for picking it as the first single. The album starts, however, with 'Anchor' with an indie guitar sound and Liam Gallagher-type vocals, culminating in crashing symbols and an abrupt ending, as does the second number 'Making Plans', but this has a bit more speed to it than the last. One of the highlights on the album comes for me with the fourth track 'Sleep Easy', which then drifts into 'The Line', a memorable and atmospheric guitar-driven mid-tempo affair. It is a great track and another single contender, I think. The second single from the album is 'Retaliate' with which I found similarities to Billy Bragg vocally, while 'See what it's Worth' takes us back to Oasis. "Dull and heavy skies fall down upon me" is the anthemic yet melancholic cry on 'Stay Where You Are', which makes good use of strings. The National influences is strong here, and also on 'Daybreak' which has vocals to suit.It ends with more Oasis-driven pop in 'Anywhere, Anyway'. Although for me the Oasis comparisons are a little too strong, this confident outing has enough in it to keep City Reign on the road to greater things.

Track Listing:-

1 Anchor
2 Making Plans
3 Out in the Cold
4 Sleep Easy
5 The Line
6 Retaliate
7 See What It's Worth
8 Stay Where You Are
9 Ahead of Ideas
10 Daybreak
11 Anywhere, Anyway