Charing Cross full length album No Batteries indicates this band will be taking no prisoners in their steady march toward fame and fortune. No Batteries proves this Boston band is loaded with creativity, the kind of energy and ideas to construct songs that grab and hold their listeners’ attention.
Opening title track “No Batteries” finds the trio whipping up a lot of sound. The bass is rumbles and twangs, offering a lot of low end textures. A feisty electric guitar cuts loose, letting a brisk phrase rip through the sonic landscape. Mighty drumming spins the trio into a tight, solid pattern. Fierce players with a lot of control over harmonics, dynamics, and a heck of a lot of notes, Charing Cross mince no words jumping into this album.
“Unread” emerges with lean, riffy guitar work and a flexible bass. That intro shows good chemistry between the trio. Carrying their chemistry into a more uptempo beat, the trio create a driving anthem. The listener can feel as well as hear every accented guitar note, ever knobby low end note, and the persistent drum beat and carefully considered drum fill. Over this fun musical outing flows a smooth vocal, a voice that rides the energy beneath it while retaining a spirited rock energy.
“Bettering” takes things easy, mellower, an acoustic guitar driven number. While the bass and drums offer plenty of notes, they are low key, their substance being the vibe. Cooing vocals coat this one nicely, a series of sustains putting emotive fiber into those special spaces opened up by the instrumentation. This one feels as strong as a large flag flying with a hearty wind.
“Bare In Mind (Curse Of Moving On)” has a metallic edge, a blistering powerhouse, electric guitar phrase, assertive, edgy; the rhythm effectively pushy. A lead vocal makes its case whether hushed during a quite portion or belty during the more electrifying section.
Sweet vocals dominate “Snow Covered Daydreams,” moving like a cloud through its changes, a large traveling blimp that gets its rudder moved by currents of bass and drums. A loose, jittery guitar line enlivens things further. The lead vocal maintains a light, airy presence throughout, and that keeps this song perfectly filled with large but unobtrusive emotive fiber.
A bossy electric guitar riff powers “Man On The Moon.” Here, the trio release their angst with plaintive, assertive vocals. One gets the feeling of an escape artist eluding capture because the energy of this song is running, wildly, to some undetermined destination. Cool, the vocal motions push the instrumentation toward the finish, a feeling of uncertainty in the air. When the trio rock out with blistering lead guitar and a solid fiber of kicking groove one feels potential, the power of this band.
“Slow Burn” is anything but. It’s a steady, Eddie rocker. Fuzzy guitar line plus muscular rhythm section equals solid musicianship and an alluring sound. This one will make you want to turn it up as the low end tones might remind of Rush as the fiery lead guitar remind of every burning electric six string that ever made your ears perk up and take notice.
A cascade of electric guitar colors “Yellow” with a rich, rock sound. A solemn, smooth vocal adds a plaintive, reflective vibe. Put both elements together and this piece gets into some fine, higher musical moments. The journey taken by the trio towards those higher moments feel like one being drawn by their currents into a higher plain.
A breezy riff, fancy stick work, and a sublime low end carry us through the beauteous “Motion.” Even when the song gets edgier, the listener is still treated the essential underpinnings of this song. Smooth vocal sustains add arty touches and all the elements in this song combine into an impressive muscular fiber. Did I mention the pretty lead guitar phrase that whistles as naturally as a bird when it’s not smoldering with passion?
Close out track “Virtue” marries acoustic guitar chord progressions to more propulsive rocking sections. While acoustic and electric guitars have been used together for years, there’s something special about the way this trio does it. One can feel the emotional divide they are indicating with the space they leave between the gentler and the more rocking instrumentation. The lead vocal maintains a lonely space in between the instrumentation. That crying out from the void sensation works wonders here.
Certainly onto something special, Charing Cross accomplish much on this No Batteries full length album. Applying quality vocals and a diverse use of instruments in a variety of song settings proves this no ordinary local band. It will prove interesting to see how far this trio can go in the New England music scene using this CD as a calling card. It will be even more interesting to see what happens when the come up with another album of this quality.
