The Grande
Album: Nothing Carries On
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.thegrande.co.uk/

"Nothing Carries On" is Liverpool combo The Grande's sophomore album, following on from their well received debut, "Bleaker Street". It's an album that grabs your attention from the word go, starting with opening track, "Little Black Lies", kicking in with a riff that is reminiscent of a slowed down and Americanaised "Atomic", before picking up on a darker, more melancholic sound, which, when combined Ben Sherwen's vocal has an overtone of Lee Hazlewood.

During the course of the album the sound falls partway between psyche country and Americana, swinging closer to one or the other depending on the needs of any given song, with hints of emotional turmoil feeling like they're never away from the surface. That overall effect is enhanced by the vocal interplay between Ben and Melissa Parker, moving between poignant harmonies and bitter call and response.

There's an age to the sound that sort of reminds me of the band and that's enhanced by subtle use of steel guitars and organ, heavy enough to make its presence felt, light enough not to be intrusive and that's something that's true of all of the instrumentation. There's enough space for some excellent arrangements, without a feeling of the sound getting cluttered or murky, not something all larger bands are able to pull off for the length of an album.

"Nothing Carries On" has a dark and brooding feel to it. It's like being on the edge of a Dixie storm, not quite sure if it's going to turn your way and overwhelm you or pass on by and give you a spectacular lightning storm as it passes. In reality it does both, letting you into the maelstrom and the depositing you into shelters of calm.

The Grande have a sound that matches their name, this is a big album, almost filmatic in its nature, but it's not anything "Nothing Carries On" can't handle, resulting in a release that can sit happily in any Americana devotees collection and well beyond that.

Neil King