The Inside Is Live - The Great Brand New (Album Review)
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Written by Alec Chillingworth
What is 'radio rock'? Who decides this stuff? Which buffoon thought it was a good idea to inflict Nickelback upon the ears of an unsuspecting nation? The 'rock' music you hear on the airwaves very rarely represents what's actually brewing in any country’s scenes and the UK is no different.
Of late, Codex Alimentarius have been churning out unhealthy doses of death metal, Deadly Circus Fire are trying their hand at being Tool, while Arse Full Of Chips – inevitably, but typed with a heavy heart – never spread their appeal past the ears of perverts and drunkards. But, in all fairness, none of this stuff would sit terribly well on the wireless, no matter what your idea of 'radio rock' is.
Enter The Inside Is Live. Hailing from Nottingham and in cahoots with producer Phil Gornell, the five-piece's first full-length, 'The Great Brand New', is a masterclass in appealing to the masses while retaining artistic credibility.
Straight off the bat, Brittle Bones establishes exactly what this band is about: choruses. We're talking big, massive choruses; choruses huge enough to kick Godzilla's arse. It's reminiscent of A Day To Remember and 'Getting Away With Murder'-era Papa Roach, but manages to escape the nostalgic trappings of either.
The Inside Is Live are an exceedingly slick, professional unit - they're tighter than your mum's purse strings during the summer holidays. Will Oldham's Maiden-esque melody during In Frailty is a winner on its own, but coupled with Callum Benson's dirty rhythm guitar it's shot into a completely new tier.
For a band still in their relative infancy, they seem to have a firm handle on dynamics. The haunting acoustic title track completely encapsulates the bleak emotion of the cover art, while the aforementioned In Frailty kicks off in a brutal, almost – forgive us – djent fashion. There's a complete disregard for genres throughout, with the band pulling various nuances from across the metallic sphere.
The husky warblings of Michael Denby are the sprinkles atop an already appetising cake. His genuine performance makes every song on 'The Great Brand New' as anthemic as anything from the band’s self-titled EP and, with Denby oozing conviction and melody in equal measure, The Moment will have punters heading to work the next morning with sore throats.
Back to that idea of 'radio rock', then. What sort of music do the public crave? Do they want catchiness? Do they want a dollop of heaviness? Are they sick of being spoon-fed? If your answer is a wide-eyed, resounding 'yes', then The Inside Is Live are your new 'radio rock' band. You've just got to let everyone else know it.
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