Thursday, February 12, 2015

Album Review: The Amplifires Life's A Gamble


One of the nice things about doing reviews is seeing the bands that you take an interest in go forward. I've recently been able to listen to new music by The Amplifires, previously reviewed in June of last year:


One aspect of the initial review that was frustrating was that while listening to the tracks on Reverb Nation I had the feeling that the sound quality was not accurately reflecting the music. I am happy to report that Life's A Gamble, released on December 22nd, sounds great.

That makes it much easier to appreciate the instruments. The funk on the intro to "Fat Cats" stands out, contrasted with the more classic rock feel of the title track. Perhaps bassist David Brunt had more influence on the first, while guitarist Steve Rawlinson played more of a role on the latter. Realistically, they probably all work together to achieve the sounds they want. You can hear both of them blending with drummer Sandy Mitchell on "Watching the Walls".

Previously the strongest memory was of Sharon Clancy's vocals. The voice is familiar, but with the clearer resonance of the instruments it stands out more. There is something spectral about her voice, and when combined with the earthbound accompaniment it brings you to the right spot. I feel like there is something very '70s about it, but at the same time, I think fans of Concrete Blonde should check out The Amplifires.

The band seems to be getting some notice on independent charts, so let's hope that is a sign of good things to come.

Life's A Gamble is available through Amazon and iTunes, and some proceeds will go to Love Hope Strength:



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