Chase The Light
Caroline Records
Will Oldham puts out a bucketload of records and you can be excused for not being able to keep up with his catalogue (it’s likely he doesn’t even know his release schedule himself), so there is a considerable amount of excitement when you are confronted with a CD by a band called Palace. Has the bearded one joined up with his brother and a drum machine again? So it is hard to explain the depth of disappointment, when putting the disc in the player to find that this isn’t Oldham revisiting his former life, but in fact an English outfit that make Coldplay sound cutting edge!
This London four-piece live and record in their studio space meaning that they are rarely far from being emerged in their music, delivering a second EP Chase The Light hot on the heels of their debut. It is this all encompassing sprawl that appears to give little space for perspective and the band meander through tedious slow paced dross like Settle Down. Kiloran is stadium pop in an over earnest fashion that has front man Leo Wyndham whining his way through this nondescript music for parents.
Listening to Chase The Light is like finally coming home to a warm bed after a day in the rain, only to get in and find that the cat has pissed in it.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
