Keyside—Keyside

There have been many great bands to come out of Liverpool, without even mentioning the absolutely obvious ones. The La's, for me, were a band in the '90s that burned so brightly with a single album before seemingly disappearing. Cast were another band born from that same scene and indeed band, and both had a distinctive sound and swagger. That distinctive sound is there in spades with Keyside.

The album opens with "Runaway". As it starts, the guitar has a hint of The Smiths, but when the vocals come in, there's no mistaking the neck of the woods they come from. There's something instantly apparent here, this is a band that has all the DNA to make hits. This has "radio hit" written all over it.

Again, with "Angeline", there's an indie sound that's right in your face, but then it drops back, allowing the vocals to take a more prominent position. I don't know if it's purely the female name, but I keep hearing hints of The Zutons' "Valerie", and for some reason I can also hear Amy Winehouse singing this. Funny, I just looked it up and The Zutons also hail from Liverpool. It's a small world.

While I loved the music on "Down My Way", the vocals were, for me, at times really hard to make out. I don't think it's the accent, so it could be more to do with the production. It reminds me of Adriano Celentano's "Prisencolinensinainciusol", which sounds like it's being sung in American English, but is actually pure gibberish. Of course, it could all just be my soft Southern ears.

"Lemon and Lime" has a more relaxed delivery. I have to admit, I couldn't help but smile at the mention of Hackney, my old stomping ground, although here it's being used as slang for a cab, something I can't say I've ever used, despite Hackney Carriage being the proper term for one. So, four back-to-back great songs so far.

Continuing that '90s sound, especially in the guitars, is "Heaven", with its bright optimism. There's also a hint of synth, which adds another layer to the overall flavour. The vocals do much of the heavy lifting too, resulting in a track that just rips by and I can't help but feel the excitement of discovering another great band.

"Comedown" provides an interesting change of direction, with a different rhythm and sound. Rather than feeling like an outlier, though, it provides an interesting diversion and shows that Keyside are more than a one trick pony. There's a slightly more wistful quality to it, while still retaining enough of the band's character to feel like it belongs.

I can't help but play The Smiths card with "Rock My Love", musically anyway. As the track starts, the jangly guitars have that distinctive sound which, I'm sure, is shared with many other bands, but for me it's always going to be strongly associated with Johnny Marr. That said, the sound is very much in the opening before the song quickly transitions into something that's much more its own thing.

Another track with a bright sound is "Cocodamol". A happy, upbeat track about a painkiller, and yes, I did have to look that up. It's perhaps a curious subject for a song, but who hasn't wanted, at one time or another, to take the pain away from someone close to them?

The guitars in "Red Ruby Red" reminded me a lot of The La's track "Liberty Ship". Doing a side-by-side comparison, they may feel like totally different tracks, but they both share some common DNA. Here, though, the sound is much cleaner. Maybe that's the result of 30 years of improvements in production techniques, or perhaps the source material here is simply in a much less "state of funk".

It's hard to not think of the Elton John's song when I see the name "Nikita". Unsurprisingly, this is a very different track, rooted firmly in the indie sound prevalent throughout the album. Vocally, there's a much heavier accent present, something I always enjoy, as it adds a wonderful sense of authenticity.

I loved "Michael (What's Your Call?)". It's a slow track, with more of a narration, a story, an attempt to reach out. I couldn't help but think of someone reaching out to Michael Caine when he was filming Jaws 4. It's funny, going a little off track, because there was a famous quote when his movie was panned. He was on a chat show being grilled about it when he said he'd never watched the film, but he loved the house it bought him. Can't argue with that. Nor can I argue with this track, which potentially feels like a set-up for the killer closer.

I have to admit, though, I was a little disappointed. I was hoping for a killer closer, like The La's "Looking Glass". Something dark, stirring and emotionally charged. Maybe that's me not being fair on "Echoes", which is, in itself, a perfectly nice track. To some degree, I think swapping the last two tracks would have given the album a stronger conclusion, but again, that's just my opinion. Needless to say, the album closes out with not a single duff track among the twelve.

It's always a double-edged sword when you discover a new band with their debut release. You want more, but at the same time, you don't want them to change. Keyside may be a new band on the scene, but they are surely destined for great things. I'd be amazed if we don't start to see and hear them everywhere.

They are a band destined for greatness, and I will continue to champion them, hoping to play even a small part in helping them on their way.