The A Train are a London based alt-folk band who seem to be bang on trend at the moment. With the rise of bands such as Mumford & Sons and the highly anticipated albums from the likes of Noah and The Whale, alternative folk inspired music seems to be the genre to tap into.
The 6 track ‘Beginning EP’ highlights a lot of promise for the band. James McKean (vocals) has a voice that adds to the similar sound of the new alt-folk bands of the moment with a hint of old-school Razorlight which adds to a very unique feel.
The opening track ‘The Hippopotamus Hunt’ takes a while to build up and get into the core of the track but it is worth the wait. It starts off as a very slow acoustic track that seems dreary and dull but stick with it as Mckean’s vocals start to shine through and when the electric guitars kick in, it leads to a very different path for the song. It starts to sound like a very up-lifting track that would definitely be at home on a Noah and The Whale album and altogether signals a very promising start for the EP.
‘Moon Water’ is the second track and follows on from where the first track left off. The piercing electric guitar combined with the military style drums encaptivate you as you wait for the vocals to kick in. As the vocals set in, you do see a little bit of song writing naivety but all the fundamentals are there giving no reason for the track to be touched up and turned into a great indie/folk song that would be at home on any radio station.
Track 3 sees a different vibe to the album. ‘Advantages’ seems a little more old school with the vocals being more prominent and there being a lot more elements of a standard indie song that indie lovers have come so attached to. This is not the strongest song so far in the album but nevertheless is a good track that would look good on any album of this kind.
The next song ‘Beginning’ reminds me of a very early Richard Ashcroft with the vocals being almost hypnotic to whoever is listening to. The song clearly tries to infuse plenty of emotion whether it is the vocals in the chorus or the driving guitar riffs with the bridge but it all authentically replicates this emotion without being corny or cheesy. This just adds to the promise that this band show and it genuinely excites me to see a original band that are bringing something new to the indie scene which has become saturated with average bands recently.
‘Dependence’ is probably the most mainstream, pop track on the album. The chorus is one that is catchy but also quite old school in its delivery. It seems like ‘The A Train’ are replicating the Manchester scene of the 90’s and regenerating it to a slightly different sound and making it their own. This track definitely seems to sound like bands such as ‘The Coral’ seeing a more alternative/Britpop direction for the EP as it started with more folk based tracks.
The final track strips everything back and goes back to basics. The only thing really standing out being the vocals plucking at your heart strings as McKean croons with real heart-felt emotion. This track shows the diversity of the band as the EP displays the great diversity within their song writing, whether it is a fast paced, guitar riff driven track or a strip backed approach with McKean showing off a great talent in front of a microphone.
The A Train show great promise with this EP. I believe that they are one EP or album away from something very, very good as they show elements of being a great band that could front festivals in years to come. The music is not snobbish in any way and is very accessible to the mainstream along with the niche, something very difficult for an indie/alt band to do so expect big things from this collective in years to come.
Stereoboard Album Rating: 8/10
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The opening track ‘The Hippopotamus Hunt’ takes a while to build up and get into the core of the track but it is worth the wait. It starts off as a very slow acoustic track that seems dreary and dull but stick with it as Mckean’s vocals start to shine through and when the electric guitars kick in, it leads to a very different path for the song. It starts to sound like a very up-lifting track that would definitely be at home on a Noah and The Whale album and altogether signals a very promising start for the EP.
