Monday, May 12, 2014

The New Union – A Band Review

     In music, we love moments of “Where did that come from?” These moments occur when the expectations built upon prior experience with a band or song are suddenly not only exceeded, they are left in ruins. There are two types. A “Where did that come from?” moment can occur when a band has released a number of singles that established a certain expectation level, but then the band drops a song that is surprisingly strong. The other type occurs when a song is progressing along in a pleasing manner for at least half its length, but is suddenly catapulted to another level.
     The song “NOW” by The New Union triggered one of those moments of the second type. During the first opportunity to hear the song, the assessment was a positive one – blogworthy. Then, the song hit its 2:08 mark and a guitar started screaming – Where did that come from? The song ended with a piano in isolation, which we enjoyed, but left us wanting more of the guitar. So, “NOW” was played repeatedly. The 2:08 mark was appreciated each time.
     Still, the sound of the guitar did not last long enough in “NOW,” so we looked elsewhere. An earlier release entitled “Without You” was found. At the 0:56 mark, our search ended. 
     The only other song that New Union has uploaded to Soundcloud is “Staying Friends,” which we appreciate for very different reasons. The guitar in "Staying Friends is something a cross between The 1975 and Bombay Bicycle Club. Then looking to the vocals features, while the overlap only lasts for a couple of seconds starting at the 1:05 mark, we enjoy the manner in which the lead vocals start the next verse before the backing vocals complete the chorus.

     The New Union is from Brighton, UK. The four members are Richard Jackson, James Baker, Alex Leeder and Leo Solti.
     "NOW" by The New Union
     "Without You" by The New Union

     "Staying Friends" by The New Union

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