Travelling Band - Screaming is Something

  by Carl Bookstein

published: 4 / 6 / 2011

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Review

'Screaming is Something' is the second album of Manchester’s the Travelling Band. The music is a blend of country, pop, folk and understated psychedelia with soothing vocals and jangling instrumentation. The recording was done in a converted church on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. The Travelling Band members include Adam Gorman, Jo Dudderidge, Steve Mullen, Chris Spencer and Nick Vaal. The opening track 'Fairweather Friends' is a shimmering lovely start. The album includes a fine assembly of acoustic and electric instrumentation from guitars to banjo and accordion. Rich harmony vocals help to achieve a highly appealing sound. 'Sundial', previously released as a single, is the album’s standout hit- positively gorgeous and hypnotic. Layers and layers of cascading sound draw the listener right in, as the repeated lyric takes on the quality of a mantra: “If I had a home to call my own/Then I wouldn’t need a sundial to stop me roaming around.” 'Magnetic Anywhere' is a desirable slice of folk pop and 'Under the Pavement' sparkles in the country rock tradition of the Byrds. 'The Horizon, Me and You' is a hopeful chiming piece of pop-craft: “If you row too far/You can follow your tracks and find me back at the start.” 'One Dime Blues' features some fine acoustic finger picking. The lyric is traditional blues: “I’m broke and I ain’t got a dime/Everybody gets some hard luck sometimes.” The song builds in momentum to a musical crescendo. 'On the Rails' is an evocative closer: “If I don’t see you on that train/See you on the other side.” In the end, the Travelling Band’s 'Screaming is Something' is a down to earth blend of folk and pop stylings and a great listen.

Track Listing:-

1 Fairweather Friends
2 Screaming Is Something
3 Sundial
4 Battlescars
5 Magnetic Anywhere
6 Under The Pavement
7 Hindsight
8 The Horizon, Me And You
9 One Dime Blues
10 On The Rails

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/thetravelling
https://twitter.com/travellingband
http://www.thetravellingband.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/thetravellin