_Celadore – The Bright and Blue (29/11/2011)
_
Put simply, Celadore
are your new favourite band. The Melbourne trio certainly know how to put a few
catchy hooks together, and that’s exactly what their second release The
Bright and Blue is. Falling somewhere between Jebediah and You Am I
in terms of sound, Celadore pays homage to everything that was great about
Australian rock ten years ago, whilst giving it a more modern twist. The result
is one of the better EP’s of 2011, with the band’s twisted alternative rock
sure to keep a wide range of listeners wanting more.
Up beat opener ‘Bakery’ sets the pace for the rest of the EP, with its ultra catchy chorus intertwining perfectly with the upbeat instrumentation. Vocalist/guitarist Michael Cooper’s voice is as smooth as James Bond, coming across as a combination of Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah) and Matthew Wright (The Getaway Plan), churning out hook after hook – all within the one song. ‘Kinks In Armour’ sees the band slow right down, focusing much more on melody and instrumentation, rather than the immediacy of ‘Bakery.’ Nevertheless, ‘Kinks In Armour’ is incredibly infectious, to the point where you’ll be humming the chorus long after the song finishes.
At their worst, Celadore perhaps pay a little too much attention to their influences, however, when the three piece get it right, boy do they get it right – often all within the one song. The final two tracks of the EP are the perfect example of this, with ‘Monsters at the Hall,’ while still being a great song in its own right, perhaps sounds a little too much like a Jebediah B-Side. While slowed down closer ‘Burn Down The Lighthouse’ sees Celadore at their most heartfelt, resulting in one of the highlights of the record.
At just under 14 minutes long, The Bright and Blue is over all too soon, leaving the listener wanting more. By all rights, Celadore should be receiving an absolute thrashing on both commercial radio and Triple J and while that may not be happening now, it surely can’t be too far down the track. The Bright and Blue is an excellent release from a band that should now be on everyone’s radar.
Billy Geary
Up beat opener ‘Bakery’ sets the pace for the rest of the EP, with its ultra catchy chorus intertwining perfectly with the upbeat instrumentation. Vocalist/guitarist Michael Cooper’s voice is as smooth as James Bond, coming across as a combination of Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah) and Matthew Wright (The Getaway Plan), churning out hook after hook – all within the one song. ‘Kinks In Armour’ sees the band slow right down, focusing much more on melody and instrumentation, rather than the immediacy of ‘Bakery.’ Nevertheless, ‘Kinks In Armour’ is incredibly infectious, to the point where you’ll be humming the chorus long after the song finishes.
At their worst, Celadore perhaps pay a little too much attention to their influences, however, when the three piece get it right, boy do they get it right – often all within the one song. The final two tracks of the EP are the perfect example of this, with ‘Monsters at the Hall,’ while still being a great song in its own right, perhaps sounds a little too much like a Jebediah B-Side. While slowed down closer ‘Burn Down The Lighthouse’ sees Celadore at their most heartfelt, resulting in one of the highlights of the record.
At just under 14 minutes long, The Bright and Blue is over all too soon, leaving the listener wanting more. By all rights, Celadore should be receiving an absolute thrashing on both commercial radio and Triple J and while that may not be happening now, it surely can’t be too far down the track. The Bright and Blue is an excellent release from a band that should now be on everyone’s radar.
Billy Geary