There’s nothing in particular that makes the debut
by British band The Amazons stand
out. It’s a mainstream rock record that isn’t especially original and that
doesn’t take any chances. The reviews have been only ok, but the sales – in the
UK at least – have been strong. All fairly standard stuff, and initially I was inclined
to be dismissive. However, The Amazons managed firmly to establish themselves on
my 2017 playlist and, ultimately, reach an impressive place in the top 10 of my
list – all largely based on the strength of their song-writing. There are a
million bands that sound like this, but very few that make this sound so well. Another
part of their appeal is commitment: right from opener ‘Stay With Me’, it’s clear
that, mainstream as they may be, The
Amazons are out to make a racket, not make the radio. Blistering guitars
and thumping drums, it’s a great start. The best track on show, by a distance,
is the superb ‘In My Mind’. The broken guitar on the chorus works so well, and
that whirling riff is just magic. But there are other gems too. The closing
track ‘Palace’ – after an album’s worth of rawk
– suddenly changes gear into a fantastic piano ballad that’ll leave you humming
it long after the record has ended. The bass-driven ‘Little Something’ is
another highlight. There are definitely weaknesses: the vocals are, being kind,
unremarkable (and definitely are over-produced), and the lyrics are about as
bland as it gets. It feels like the words were written in the studio at the
last minute: one might forgive that on a time-pressured second record, but this
is a debut so presumably these songs have been germinating for a while. Such
quibbles aside, this is a collection of consistently excellent rock songs. The Amazons will change nobody’s world,
but there is a big dollop of passion and some seriously good song-writing here.
I’ve played it loads. Generic, but worthy of its place in the top 10.
sample track: In My Mind