Having formed in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk in January 2007, UK 3-piece rock band Ten City Nation, have just released their self-titled debut album. It follows their single “Exhibition Time Again” which was reviewed by this very website. That very song opens the album and gives a good impression of the general sound on offer i.e. Nirvana-meets-QOTSA. There is hefty guitar riffage aplenty, augmented by a muscular rhythm section.
Track 2 “Positive Sickness” is more towards “emo” but “emo” when it meant something other than boys attired in girls’ jeans and Hitler haircuts. Think more Quicksand or Far than the Abhorrent My Chemical Romance.
Track 3 “Wolves At The Window” offers a change in pace, the pummelling riffs replaced by a slower, more gentle sound, before the equally good head-nodder “TDK90” comes along, with its almost funky Clutch-esque bass riff married to a jangly guitar melody.
Track 5 “She Chokes On Cigarettes” is based around a dirty blues riff and goes further towards demonstrating Ten City Nation have an abundance of ideas. On the subject of which, “The Air Is On Fire” is almost sinister, its bass-heavy introduction simmering towards a chunky yet melodic chorus. There is an epic quality to the song-writing here.
“Skeletons” is next, and is another bass-heavy, bluesy affair firmly in the territory of Hell Is For Heroes or early Hundred Reasons. It’s a good song, but not as interesting as “So Unintended” which follows. It is built upon a dark, almost Massive Attack-like electronic foundation. While the QOTSA style riffs abound, there are also elements of 90s dance influenced indie, a combination that should not work but does.
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Track 9 “Show Don’t Tell”, has a brooding quality, as jangly almost dreamlike guitars augment the now “trademark” heavy bass-lines. It sounds like it is building towards a thunderous crescendo, which unfortunately never seems to fully arrive. “Everyone’s A Tourist” is more satisfying, though at the same time it is also the most commercial/accessible song here. It retains the forcefulness of the other songs, but is very melodic too.
Final track, “The First Man On The Sun” is the ideal album closer, the slow-burning bass-riff introduction building towards an epic chorus.
Ten City Nation (the album) is very hard to dislike. It is chock full of meaty yet melodic songs, played with great passion. More than that, Ten City Nation (the band) are willing to throw different influences into the mix – blues, emotional hardcore, and even trip-hop/electronica – and do it seamlessly. You can’t ask for more from a band other than they write good songs and play them well. Ten City Nation certainly do that, and they deserve to be heard.
You should buy it to show your support for the band (at shows or via www.repeatfanzine.co.uk), but you can also download it for free from the “downloads” section of their homepage – and you really should. What have you got to lose?
www.repeatfanzine.co.uk
www.tencitynation.com
www.myspace.com/tencitynation
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