Album Reviews |

Rain



267d Cranmore Boulevard 5 ( 2008 )
Overload / Johnny & June / Juice / Tears In My Eyes / Lessons / Too Many Times / Holes In My Pocket / Kicking Off Your Shoes / Pretty As A Picture / Billy / Seasons / Memphis

All proceeds from the sale of this CD will be donated to a children's charity. All songs written, performed, produced and recorded by Rain who are Mike Wilkie, Matthew Corbett and Alan Sinnett. On the cover artwork, the rear of the CD to be precise, two of the band members look like school-teachers whilst a third, stepped slightly forwards from the other two and clearly the front-man looks like, well, a front-man. I realise everything i've written so far isn't terribly interesting, but then again, neither is '267d Cranmore Boulevard'. Don't get me wrong here, I certainly can't criticize the level of professionalism, musicianship or any of the sentiments the lyrics on the album ( helpfully reprinted in a nice quality booklet ) contain. It's just that the time and place for a band like Rain has perhaps passed. Well, we can't be too churlish. Rain are part-timers and the proceeds of all their albums ( not just this one ) have been donated to charity. Well, they do allow free-downloads from their web-site and an honesty box approach. This has so far yielded some £10,000 that's been donated - so they must be doing something right. Right? Well, yeah, they are - but this kind of polite AOR that only simmers to boil over occasionally isn't really my bag.

Well, I am going to mention highlights, because I have nothing against the guys personally. 'Overload' sounds really good actually, fine melodies that Noel Gallagher would have been proud to have written. At the other end of the album, 'Seasons' opens with attractive acoustic guitar lines, although if you've sat through eleven songs of these overly smooth vocals in one sitting, good on you. Anything else? 'Juice' seems to be a serious song, um, that's about it really.

Add A Comment?