Darwin's Radio

[Lambsie]

Hi All

I thought it would be useful to tell members of this group about a great new band I've been listening to called Darwin's Radio, who have just released their debut album, released independently, called Eyes of the World.

The band includes Sean Spear and Mark Westworth, previously of UK prog outfit Grey Lady Down (though the band sounds nothing like them) and Declan Burke, who plays in the Rush tribute band Spirit of Rush.

There will be plenty of comparisons to Rush, but to my ears the band sounds rather more like Enchant, although they are a touch proggier, with excellent keyboard playing, particularly Westworths' piano work. The songs are strong yet pleasingly complex, the playing is great, and Burke has an excellent, slightly rough-edged voice and a guitar style not a million miles away from Dougs.

You can check out soundclips either at the bands website www.darwinsradio.co.uk or from my site http://www.sonicbond.com/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=332&strPageHistory=cat

Stephen

 

[Random Axe]

Here's my review of the disc. It does remind one of Enchant at times, but maybe only in some song structures. This is an incredible album that most here should dig immensely. It's available at www.kinesiscd.com


Artist: Darwin's Radio
Album: Eyes of the World
Released: 2006
Label: Independent

Independent music is going to save the music industry. That fact has never been more evident than after listening to England's latest entry into the prog movement, Darwin's Radio. Without the restrictions or constraints of a corporate entity or even a label, Eyes of the World is an album of musical landscapes that is exactly what the band wanted to write and is free of compromise. Not quite neo-prog and not exactly prog-rock, Darwin's Radio rides a precarious balance between genres, and on that tightrope they create a brand of rock where melody, feel and flow form the foundation and their musical passion bring these songe to life. Through warm and inviting melodies and carefully crafted and personal lyrics these songs come alive with moving musical crecendos and dynamic performances.

The album opens with the nine minute plus tune Erase...Rewind which is an amalgamation of the rest of the album in terms of style and dynamics. It begins with pounding drums, a Hammond organ and some crunchy guitar and imediately melds into a piano interlude before returning to the rock guitar and the opening vocals. This song goes between harder and softer parts with seemless ease before ending in grandoise style. Stronger, the second song shows more of a modern style while retaining their melodic and prog leanings. Not to be solely judged on their rock, they show an introspective and sensitive side with Windows To Your Soul and Amber Skies. These are built around acoustic guitar and piano, further proof of this bands versatility and skill. They end with another epic, The Vast Within that also combines several styles with varied instrumentation for the perfect closing song.

Guitarist and vocalist Declan Burke breathes life into this album with his impassioned and heartfelt vocals. Without a better comparison, he reminds one of Richard Marks with his tone, delivery and slightly raspy quality. His projection and range are perfectly suited for these songs and his ability to alternate styles, even within the same song, are impressive and bring the dynamic qualities needed to pull these tunes off. Keyboardist Mark Westworth, bassist Sean Spear and drummer David Pankhurst all leave their individual stamps as they are all heavily involved in the song-writing process, and the results are definitely heard in the final product as each instrument is an intricate and essential piece each song's musical puzzle. Each member is equally adept at changing styles and tempo and are the very definition of a complete band.

It is rare when you discover an album that has all of the qualities you look for. It's bands like this and an album this good that restore my faith in the music industry. Without a trace of pretentiousness or commercialization, Darwin's Radio has written and created music for the sake of music and have raised the bar quite high for future independent bands to reach. There is not one lyric without meaning and not a single note without purpose. Few bands can make that claim and few bands can match their combination of musicianship, passion and melody. Operating outside of any defined genre, Darwin's Radio have created one of the best albums of 2006 and beyond. This is prog, this is rock, this is pure. This, folks, is simply outstanding.


Five out of Five

Tracks: Erase...Rewind/ Stronger/ Windows To Your Soul/ Glass Tiger's Eye/ Lapse of Sensation/ Eccentric Orbits/ Amber Skies/ The Vast Within

Band members:
Declan Burke - Vocals, guitar
Mark Westworth - Keyboards, vocals
Sean Spear - bass
David Parkhurst - drums, vocals
www.darwinsradio.co.uk

 

[ich bin besser]

That sounds cool. Do I get the right impression that the album is more on the quieter side?

 

[Random Axe]

I'm not sure if quieter is the term, but it does have a certain tranquility to it. THere is some distorted rock guitar mixed with clean much like Juggling Nine era Enchant, though the band's similarities end there. Darwin's Radio has more in common with, say, Rush. It's just full of gooey, warm melodies, and the songs flow smoothly and more or less write themselves. It's a smooth rock album that I believe any fan of Enchant, Spock's Beard, Kino and IQ would enjoy. Check the samples on their website or at www.kinesiscd.com and see what you think. This and the new Wolverine album are the best I've heard this year by a mile.

Scott