Currently Listening To: Mt. Desolation - Bridal Gown
Initially I wasn't planning to listen to Mt. Desolation, since they classified themselves as 'alt-country', but after hearing their single State of Our Affairs I guess I changed my mind.
After all, Mt. Desolation is the brainchild of Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin from (my favourite band ever!) Keane so I should give them a chance, right? Well I'm glad I did cos their debut album is actually pretty decent for 'alt-country'. I can't stand wannabe-country music (blergh Taylor Swift), so I guess I should say that I'm quite impressed with the Keane boys! I mean, Keane doing country is just odd on so many levels. Strangely enough it works.
Not to worry, the band is made up of more than just the two of them. Members of The Killers, Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons and The Staves provide Mt. Desolation with their backing band, and there are other backup singers too (including Jesse's mother!).
I really wouldn't say that they sound very country, safe for a few songs but it's close enough with only slight hints of Keane-ish music. All of the songs in the album are composed by Tim and Jesse, so good job guys.
If you're not a country music fan, stay away from this album. If you're a diehard Keane fan, then go ahead and give it a listen. It's interesting to see them doing something different for a change.
One more thing - Tim should leave the singing to Tom Chaplin and Jesse. It's not that he sounds bad, it's just...well Tom and Jesse are the better singers. I was watching some live videos of Keane's recently completed tour to the USA and Tom is just amazing! That man has a wonderful voice with a great range and a lovely falsetto, and I really hope that one day I'll get a chance to see them live.
I can now happily cross out Adam Lambert from my 'Must See Live' list, and now the only one remaining is Tom Chaplin - both of them are my favourite male singers ever.
Overall: A much better side project than say, Chester Bennington's Dead by Sunrise or Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor, despite the fact that it's COUNTRY music. 8/10
Recommendations: State of Our Affairs, Bitter Pill, Bridal Gown, Another Night on My Side.
