Comet Gain - Howl of the Lonely Crowd

  by Tommy Gunnarsson

published: 9 / 6 / 2011

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Review

Apart from the singles compilation 'Broken Record Players' in 2008, it’s been six years since we heard some new songs from David Feck and his bandmates. 'City Fallen Leaves', released in 2005, was the long-awaited follow-up to the fabulous 'Réalistes' (2002), and I remember being a bit disappointed back then. Sure, it was a collection of classic, well-crafted Comet Gain songs, but I wanted more than that. I’m not sure what was missing, though. Maybe a new 'Strength', or a new 'The Kids at the Club'. Anyhow, six years later, I kind of get the same feeling, when listening to 'Howl of the Lonely Crowd”. It’s a pretty good album, no doubt about that. But… well… it’s hard to pinpoint the problem here. I suppose I have just changed my taste in music a bit since 2002. Oh well… back to this new album. The opening track, 'Clang of the Concrete Swans', sounds like one of Robert Forster’s songs for the Go-Betweens (even though I love them, I always preferred Grant McLennan’s songs), and a few songs further down the track list, we get a slice of classic, shambling Comet Gain punkpop, the single 'Working Circle, Explosive!'. Still I can’t get the taste of disappointment from my mouth (or ears, rather), and I realise that this London quintet have been recording the same album over and over again for the last decade. After listening to the horribly annoying 'Yoona Baines', I come to the conclusion that this is the end of the road for me and Comet Gain. We have to part ways, which is very sad. With that said, if you liked 'City Fallen Leaves', you will probably enjoy this new album too!

Track Listing:-

1 Clang Of The Concrete Swans
2 The Weekend Dreams
3 An Arcade From The Warm Rain That Falls
4 She Had Daydreams
5 Working Circle Explosive!
6 Yoona Baines
7 Herbert Huncke Prt 2
8 After Midnite, After Its All Gone Wrong
9 A Memorial For Nobody I Know
10 Ballad Of Frankie Machine
11 Some Of Us Don't Want To Be Saved
12 Thee Ecstatic Library
13 In A Lonely Place

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/cometgain

Label Links:-

http://www.fortunapop.com/
https://twitter.com/fortunapop
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fortuna

Have a Listen:-