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The Audreys: When the Flood Comes

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Release date: 18 April 2008 (Warner)
The Audreys are as original in the flesh as they are on CD - from Taasha Coate's brooding, ethereal vocals to Lyndon Gray's five-stringed double bass, from the sparsely plucked banjo and mandolins to the soaring, classically inspired string arrangements. Opening with Chelsea Blues, the brooding vocals and banjo lead in until the bass and drums kick in like a punch to the kidneys. The effectiveness of this arrangement is to be a permanent theme throughout the whole album. This LP should be the standard that all 'roots' music adheres to; this is the real deal kids. It's folk, it's rock, it's grunge, it's classical and it's blues, but above all, it's indescribably beautiful and stunningly original.

To give a brief overview of the vibe of the entire album, let's look at the first single Paradise City, which saunters into the room in third place. A perfect single to encapsulate everything that makes When the Flood Comes such a fantastic release. The mournfully upbeat guitar leads in on top of some sludging drum work, paving the way for Coate to come along and, with complete disregard for the tone being set by her band-mates, jive a sorrowful tune of regret and disgust. The irony grabs at you and drags you into the sleaze - this is desolation city; this ain't no Paradise City.

Man, this is good stuff. But it just gets better! After the first major crescendo, we're pulled back to reality with just drums and hoarsely whispered vocals, then it builds up again and launches us, with a quick detour through classically inspired string arrangements, into track four. It gets no better than this. Go get it. Words are not the medium for describing aesthetics. The Audreys are where it's at.

Tracks:
1. Chelsea Blues
2. Head So Heavy
3. Paradise City
4. Lay Me Down
5. Closing Time
6. When the Flood Comes
7. Anchor
8. Sally & the Preacher
9. Small Things
10. Here He Lies
11. Songbird
12. More to a Sinner

Vincent Giles, May 2008