The Dawn Chorus / The Retrospective Soundtrack Players - Blogging all over the World

Review: The Dawn Chorusby Marcus Kernohan • Nov 20, 2008 • Album reviews • Comments

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Recently name-checked by Frank Turner in an interview with Stereokill as “my new favourite band in the whole world ever”, Portsmouth’s The Dawn Chorus have a lot to live up to. But, as I put their debut album on this morning, I was determined to listen with an impartial ear and not let anything colour my judgement. So, with no lofty and premature expectations, it was a pleasant surprise to find that debut album The Big Adventure is an intensely listenable record.
From the word go, I found myself captivated. The gentle acoustic strumming of “The Big Adventure Part I”, segues seamlessly into the blaring horns and light guitar of “Part II”. Together, they tell an intensely personal story, superbly compéred by vocalist Kyle Evans.
The Dawn Chorus are an impossible-to-pigeonhole band. The Big Adventure ebbs and flows from acoustic ballads to indie-rock anthems, bound together by some intelligent songwriting and lovely melodies. Above and beyond the conventional rock-band instrumentation lies a more experimental streak that shows its face in the violins and unexpected brass. It’s this intricate musical layering that places the albums head and shoulders above anything else seen on the British indie scene this year.
At times, the album seems to lose its way - the mediocre rock of “Summer of ‘99″ feels like a minor letdown, but it’s quickly rescued by some simply superb songs: “The Hope Will Kill Us” and “Song for Antoinette” are particular gems. Even when Evans’ Britpop drawl occasionally sounds a little lifeless, such moments are fleeting and don’t flaw the album as a whole.
The Dawn Chorus are a band in the very best traditions of indie-folk. With a sound that forged somewhere between Bright Eyes and Murder by Death, this is an infinitely varied and uniquely charming album, with huge re-listening potential and the promise of great things to come.
The Verdict: