Reviews
The Beautiful Failures Album: Cowboys In Tangier
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.thebeautifulfailures.com
With vocals handled by main songwriter Warren Gaskell and Cathy Williams, The Beautiful Failures are a rich, full throttle big band. The name of this Manchester based, US inspired, eight piece is, full of that Alt Country sense of rough and ready slackers, while the album name references a sense of the unusual and exotic.
"Stay At Ease" beginning as a languid Harvest era Neil Young song packs a lot of ideas into four minutes. Cathy's vocal steadily raises the temperature, with the minute being a searing guitar stomp. "Don't Think You Own Me" is a sweet romp around fine vocals and Pete Troughton and Martin Tiernay's pedal steel and banjo. Again the arrangement is inspired with a beautiful almost a capella section. "Your Heart Isn't In It" is a textbook glass half empty failed love song with inspired guitar work and vocals. With a touch of Police Dog Hogan and a lush chorus , the sparkling title track speaks of escape and taking risks. "Broken Kiss" is another fiery romp with fine guitar and chorus "Two Wheels" is, a midlife crisis song with some great lines and Gaskin and Rick Lucas throwing out sweet guitar lines. If Lemmy had recorded Americana in a mellow moment or fronted Whiskeytown it might have sounded like the punch the air stomper "Whiskey And Gasoline".
There is some inspired slide work and a fine vocal as The Beautiful Failures dip into Springsteen's Nebraska territory on "Dirty Hands". Closer "Run Into These Arms" is a fragile song built around Lee Turner's piano, fantastic paired voices and powerful playing from The Beautiful Failures. The final track rides out on a mid 70s Eagles musical coda as the octet completely live up to the first part of their name and absolutely eclipse any sense of the second part.
Marc Higgins
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Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Pirate is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
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