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With the strength of their fourth album ‘The Lights In This Town Are Too Many To Count’ propelling them towards mass critical acclaim once again, country-soul band Grand Drive still do no wrong.
Granted, their choice of ‘You and I’ to start the show isn’t exactly a force to be reckoned with - its gentle, unaccompanied slow-pace is more a whimper, begging to be taken notice of, than a slogging, in-your-face jump to attention that they usually manage. It isn’t until the rockier numbers sift through that we truly take notice, albeit after the stage-side chatterers get a bit of a telling off from Julian Wilson. Their latest single ‘Maybe I’m A Winner’, catchy and endearing as it is, doesn’t quite pull the punches like some of their past singles do (‘Tell It Like It Is’, for example), but at least the band seem to enjoy giving it some welly.
Brothers in the band Julian and Danny Wilson, take it in turns for song-writing duties, and Danny possesses such a distinct voice which you either love... or tolerate. So it’s with some relief when Julian takes over the main vocal duties for their singalong ‘The Real Thing’ and then cranks it up an octave for the rather horny, and Smokey Robinson-esque ‘I Won't Let You Down’.
Grand Drive often do honest, lovestruck and heartfelt (‘I Believe in Love’, ‘No Doubt About It’), but rarely do they get moody, and even less often do they steer off the traditional song progression path. However, this time around they’ve indulged in a smattering of prog-rock stylisation in the case of the blissful ‘Me & My Star’. Julian stands tall behind his guitar, scrunching up his face and chewing out the words like they’re the most luscious snuff tobacco he doesn’t ever want to finish. It’s glorious.
’Love & The Truth’, the new album’s scorching, perfect opener might have been better suited to crack off proceedings, yet slotted further on in the set its gradual build-up - with Ed Balch’s pounding bass riff, Danny’s tribal wailing and Julian’s background warbling - makes for a stunning crescendo and cements the fans’ admiration for a band that manages to surpass itself year after year.
Long may they continue.
