Review
It was a while in coming but fans finally got their hands on an official release from 4th Street Band, They formed in 2007 and toured regularly without having anything on disc to release, they maintained early on that they’re just focussing on touring but when the band went on an indefinite hiatus in late 2008 it looked like a release from the band wasn’t anywhere nearer to being released, until an announcement was made on 27th December 2009 just a few hours before the album was set to be released via the bands official store and various record stores, the album was an unexpected success.
With this album you get songs which stretch from their 2008 tour and give you the feeling of a great live band, this album captures them at their best.
The album kicks off with fan favourite A Kiss To Build A Dream Upon recorded in New York, it’s over 6 minutes long and has the most sing-along chorus out of the whole album, you can tell the fans really enjoyed it singing along right throughout. The album includes two US top 40 singles in Look Around Son, This Is Yours and Hallelujah Is A Word I Won’t Use which have also been covered by Heroes & Cons as B-Sides to their own singles, those two songs best represent the band as a fast paced rock band with various influences from Tom Petty to The Clash, those two songs are generally considered the main attractions for the album but there are two under-rated live gems on this album which are It’s Better This Way which was taken from a performance in Ireland and I’m Going All Out (For Your Love), a nine minute epic, which was taken from a performance in Max’s hometown of New Jersey, the latter being my own personal favourite, it also has the biggest crowd reactions and stands alone as the best song this band has written so far.
Throughout the album there are various influences and the band has mixes of various different genre’s in their music from Blues, Punk and Soul, all with the rock sound familiar to many 4th Street Band fans. This album was a success to an extent and it’s understandable why but I don’t feel that this album will go down in history off one of the best of it’s type, however it is a good starting point for a band which could continue for the next 15 to 30 years with similar or more success. All in all it’s a pretty solid debut with a couple of gems in there and that in itself is enough to make fans go out and purchase Vol 2 which will be out in August.
By Ryan Murphy *** 3/5 stars. Released: December 28th 2009
Recorded: New York, Los Angeles, Dublin, New Jersey
Genre: Rock, Live
Label: Junction Records
Producer: Max Armstrong, Lucy Tyrell, Greg Walls
Tracklisting
1. A Kiss To Build A Dream Upon - (New York), 6:46
2. Look Around Son, This Is Yours - (New York), 5:26
3. Look Into The Past - (New York), 6:25
4. Hallelujah Is A Word I Won’t Use - (Los Angeles), 6:34
5. I Know We’re Meant To Be - (Los Angeles), 3:54
6. I Wanna Go Home With You - (Dublin), 2:51
7. It’s Better This Way - (Dublin), 7:58
8. I’ll Work For Your Love - (Dublin), 4:39
9. Dream Of American Dreams - (New Jersey), 7:35
10. I’m Going All Out (For Your Love) - (New Jersey), 9:00
Edited by user 21 June 2010 04:57:27(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified