London youngsters Chapel Club just released their debut album Palace last month and are preparing for a jaunt to Austin for South By Southwest next month.
Their press kit throws out references aplenty: Joy Division, Mercury Rev, Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine. They certainly cull elements from all of them, but none are entirely accurate.
Chapel Club probably have more in common with fellow arena-ready Englishmen White Lies. While their influences are admirable, the end product is a bit too polished and self-important — like when Travis gets political or Glee covers U2.
Okay, so maybe that's not quite fair. They do have songs to fall back on, like the lazily shoegaze "The Shore":
Download "The Shore" here for the price of an email address. "Surfacing" is equally stirring, if irritating for its cheeky use of the standard "Dream A Little Dream Of Me":
"All The Eastern Girls" probably sums up their Coldplay-sized aspirations best:
We'll see if Chapel Club can back up their bluster. Last year's Wintering EP showed much promise, but Palace seems to be the work of a band getting a little too carried away.
1 comment:
"All the Eastern Girls", to me, sounds so much like EATB that I couldn't help but fall in love with it. I'm going to see this band on Thursday.
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