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"Burn Your Town"

8.5/10
The Chapman Family – Burn Your Town
14 March 2011, 12:30 Written by Jen Long
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It’s both exciting and strange to press play on the debut album from The Chapman Family.

After years of watching them gig up and down the country, from toilet venue to festival stage, I can finally hold a physical copy of their labours. It’s strange because having seen them play so many shows I’m finding it hard to appreciate them out of the context of their live onslaught. Out of the way of careering guitar heads and throttling microphone leads. I can still see them playing as their CD spins.

One thing Burn Your Town does manage to do is capture the aggression and honesty The Chapman Family usually throw in the face of any captive crowd. I could write a long diatribe about the current political state of the country and the way that in the past, social unrest has lead to some great music. But in all honesty, it would read like something written by a first year sociology student. Basically, this album isn’t just ‘Going Out On A Friday Night, Everything’s gonna be alright.’

That said, there are some pretty simply rhymed couplets going on in the lyrics here, but I don’t think that matters. This record is all about passion, and watching the band play live, there is no doubting that lead singer Kingsley has it by the heart-full. And it does come across on record – mostly due to producer Rich Jackson’s abrasively gut pleasing touch.

The drums are huge and throbbing, the bass sickeningly reverberated, and the guitars clash like metal on metal. But it still retains melody, and sentiment. At times it even gets pretty radio friendly.

This album is indie rock for those who still believe four guys with guitars can provide more than postures and incendiary interview copy. Because that’s certainly at the centre of what this band believe.

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