Album Review - Among The Echoes, "Fracture"

Album Review:
Among The Echoes, "Fracture"

It’s been a while since I did a review, but from the moment I started listening to the latest album from Among The Echoes I knew I would have to break my hiatus. "Fracture" is one of the most addictive and all-consuming LPs I have heard for a long time.

From the outset, the album’s opener slinks around your head and into your ear before seeping down to the pit of your stomach and wrapping a gigantic invisible fist around your soul. At the first thunderous beat of the album’s title track, "Fracture", the fist lifts you up and slams you down into the core of the earthquake of dark beats and bass, crisp anthemic synths and blistering Bowie-eque vocals that exude a fantastic combination of power, fear, control, passion and acrimony.

The production is absolutely superb and is the icing on the cake to the fabulous electronic powerhouse driving the 13 tracks on the album. The album is definitely in my top 3 albums of this year so far and I highly recommend it, particularly for fans of dark and brooding electronica who, like me, look for music that has the ability to cut you off from the world and hold your attention completely from start to finish.

Absolutely outstanding!

Track Listing
Heartbeat (1:41)
Fracture (3:58)
Sin (3:34)
Medusa (5:15)
Hate (3:45)
Midnight (4:48)
Rain (4:01)
Control (4:26)
Heart Of A Machine (4:40)
Freak (4:20)
Pure (5:04)
24 (0:12)
13 (3:04)

EP REVIEW- Among The Echoes, "Freak"

Following their popular gig at Birmingham’s O2 Academy in January Birmingham band, Among The Echoes, have been busy recording a new four track EP, Freak. The addition of producer and guitarist Sam Wale to the band’s line up has added both a new dimension and sparkle to their already polished sound, which skilfully manages to fuse 80s electronica akin to Fiction Factory, Talk Talk and Depeche Mode with a more contemporary sound such as that from indietronica band M83.

The lead track, Freak, is an absolute earworm that swirls its way into your head with captivating ethereal synths, heavy bass, and dark vocals before stomping into the chorus with an uplifting 80s synth riff and vocals akin to Siouxsie Sioux and David Bowie, courtesy of Rachael O’Hara and Ian Wall respectively. The following song, Talk Talk, continues this powerful theme teaming Phil Lockhart’s brilliantly fuzzy bassline with escalating vocals which become fantastically needy by the end of the track. Steve Turrell’s soaring synth in the chorus intensifies the great drop that follows, with the band’s trademark dark edge being present throughout.

Whilst still firmly in the same vein, Pure, manages to bring a slightly more rock feel to the table courtesy of a gritty guitar backdrop in the chorus. The vocals are softer than the previous two tracks but this provides a great contrast, and serves to create a fantastic build up to the final track, Feels Like Heaven. This track covers Fiction Factory’s popular electronic hit of the 80s in a new, unexpected way, resulting in nostalgic electronica with a new twist. With a slow, moody beat overlaid by an otherworldly synth and gravelly rock guitar, the vocals weave in and out of the verses and chorus to an escalating interlude, before bringing the EP to a shuddering close. Fiction Factory’s Eddie Jordan gives a ringing endorsement of Among The Echoes’ new version of Feels Like Heaven calling it “amazing”, and he is not wrong.

With fantastic production by Sam Wale, fans of dark wave, 80s electronica and indie synth pop will not be disappointed with this EP. Freak is released for digital download on 1st April and is available on Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby and the usual digital outlets.

Hear the first exclusive radio play of the EP in full on Johnny Normal's Radio Show at www.radio-happy.com on Tuesday 26th March between 20:00 and 22:00 UK time!

Track listing:
1. Freak
2. Talk Talk
3. Pure
4. Feels Like Heaven

Links:
Among The Echoes website
Sam Wale Productions website