Council Ring is a band that formed in 2020 and got started playing shows soon after that. They released a live album entitled An Evening with Council Ring which during the ’80s and ’90s was popular for bands to do. You really don’t see that as much these days but regardless I was excited to hear this type of release.
This album is half of a show played at the Evening Muse in early December, 2021 - which was the band's eighth time playing live. The songs were mostly written during the spring and summer and formed the basis for the live shows of the fall of 2021. The album starts with “Dear” and in true live fashion starts with a brief announcement from someone at the venue. They start somewhat surprisingly with a ballad. The song contains some warm piano, clean guitar, bass and vocals. Their song does have some intensity and there are a number of dynamic sections. It was a strong opener. The piano was a little loud in the mix but overall a very nice live recording. Up next is “Winds of Change” which isn’t a cover of the famous song by Scorpions. At first the band reminded me of Tool but once the whole band comes it loses that quality. The song isn’t exactly an intense rocking song but leans towards more contemplative and slightly psychedelic. On that note, similar to the first song, there are certainly more dynamic sections. “Waves” follows and this song rocks very hard. The drummer goes all out on this song during certain sections. There are also sections which are very ambient where guitars create a pad-like effect. The song contains a lot of different types of energy. They have more success and are somewhere between hard rock with a psychedelic twist. Pink Floyd on steroids might be a good way to describe them. “Catching Eyes” falls more into a classic blues and rock hybrid. There’s a familiarity to the song I appreciated and it also felt like one of the highlights. I loved some of the start and stop type dynamics on “Break” while “Stand” goes back into ballad mode with more of an Americana type flavor. They go big on the closer “Rock the Cradle.” I loved the organ and some of the Led Zeppelin style riffs on this song. The band has a fun and energetic presence. It comes across in their music and this release is proof of their talent. This release did make me excited to hear a studio release at some point but this a solid start. Take a listen.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|