AUSTIN GOLD
Austin Gold are a five piece, consisting of David James Smith, who handles vocal duties and guitar, another guitarist in Jack Cable, bassist Lee Churchill, Russell Hill on keys and Hammond organ and drummer Chris Ogden. ‘Before Dark Clouds’ is the band's debut album, made up of 10 tracks which showcase their contemporary rock sound with a slightly retro feel courtesy of, in large part, Hill's distinctive Hammond organ sound.
There's a mixture of up tempo rockers, such as the couple that open the album, 'Brand New Low' and 'Another Kinda Bad', and more considered, slow burning tracks which, on the evidence presented here, seem to be the band's forte. There really isn't a weak composition on this release, but the highlights for me are the title track, which has a Free/Bad Company vibe to it with an excellent guitar solo and a nice groove overall; 'Home Ain't Home', which is one of the aforementioned 'slow burners' and the album highlight with its intensity and absolutely breathtaking guitar work; and 'All The Way Down' and the acoustically led 'See The Light', which are both from the same mould as 'Home Ain't Home’, but with their own individually striking characteristics.
This is a very professional and well produced debut from Austin Gold, with some absolutely top notch songs, and they can be delighted with their efforts. The band's website details forthcoming live dates (Sheffield, Gloucester and Peterborough before Christmas and a couple of dates in Leeds plus Harrogate in the New Year) and, based on this release, I would thoroughly recommend catching them live, if at all possible.
There's a mixture of up tempo rockers, such as the couple that open the album, 'Brand New Low' and 'Another Kinda Bad', and more considered, slow burning tracks which, on the evidence presented here, seem to be the band's forte. There really isn't a weak composition on this release, but the highlights for me are the title track, which has a Free/Bad Company vibe to it with an excellent guitar solo and a nice groove overall; 'Home Ain't Home', which is one of the aforementioned 'slow burners' and the album highlight with its intensity and absolutely breathtaking guitar work; and 'All The Way Down' and the acoustically led 'See The Light', which are both from the same mould as 'Home Ain't Home’, but with their own individually striking characteristics.
This is a very professional and well produced debut from Austin Gold, with some absolutely top notch songs, and they can be delighted with their efforts. The band's website details forthcoming live dates (Sheffield, Gloucester and Peterborough before Christmas and a couple of dates in Leeds plus Harrogate in the New Year) and, based on this release, I would thoroughly recommend catching them live, if at all possible.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Jigsaw
Album
BEFORE DARK CLOUDS
Review by Dave Uphill
RUNNING TIME:
47:01
RELEASE DATE:
13th Oct 2017
TRACK LISTING
1) Brand New Look
2) Another Kinda Bad
3) Before Dark Clouds
4) Wishing Away
5) The Reason
6) Home Ain't Home
7) Roadside
8) All the Way Down
9) See the Light
10) Never Come Back
2) Another Kinda Bad
3) Before Dark Clouds
4) Wishing Away
5) The Reason
6) Home Ain't Home
7) Roadside
8) All the Way Down
9) See the Light
10) Never Come Back
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
UK
"...a very professional and well produced debut from Austin Gold, with some absolutely top notch songs..."
