Albums

Album Review: My Awesome Compilation

[Album: Frontiers]
[Label: Small Town Records]

The second album syndrome is one of the most challenging aspects of the modern-day music industry. A bands sophomore effort is almost more important than their debut; it really can make or break a band. It therefore must be both an anxious and exciting time for Leicester-based My Awesome Compilation who, through Small Town Records, now have this, their follow-up to 2005’s ‘Actions’, to show off.

Straight out, I think that ‘Frontiers’ is a solid second album. It doesn’t break any boundaries, but that said, it’s a polished body of work that is clearly full of energy and demonstrates what a hardworking young British band can achieve. Compared to their earlier material it’s a lot heavier, both instrumentally and lyrically. The drums are powerful, if a little plain; the guitars are turned right up with some nifty little riffs and rhythms included; and the vocals, without being breathtaking, are honest and to the point.

It is without surprise that Hundred Reasons guitarist Larry Hibbitt has produced this album. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the difference in vocals between Hundred Reasons distinctive Colin Doran and My Awesome Compilation’s Chris Driver, you would have to look more than twice to check which band you were listening to. Not that that’s entirely negative. I mean, Hundred Reasons are one of the finest and most hardworking British rock bands out there. Unfortunately, there’s just this feeling you get, when listening to the album, that you can’t seem to escape the clear comparison between the bands and unfortunately Hundred Reasons were there first.

Larry Hibbitt, who is clearly very talented in the role of producer, has put together an album that sounds colossal, perfectly capturing the clear energy and enthusiasm the band have. However I feel that for the band develop and expand their musical output they may want to find somebody else to produce their future releases. I just can’t see how another album produced by Hibbitt would sound any different to this one, such is the dominance that he seems to have. That being said you should definitely check this album out, particularly if you don’t have a clue who Hundred Reasons are!

For fans of: Hundred Reasons, Brigade, Hell Is For Heroes
Band link = My Awesome Compilation

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