An album that could have been much better (Welcome To The Walkalone - The Rumble Strips)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Welcome To The Walkalone - The Rumble Strips
Date:	24/07/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some catchy numbers, like the sax

Disadvantages: Mick Ronson's production doesn't work and the vocals are a bit wearing

Welcome to the Walkalone is the 2nd album by London based Devon band The Rumble Strips. The album didn't chart particularly high and I have to admit I never heard of them until setting myself a task of reviewing the latest album by every Glastonbury act this year.

Not The Only Person sounds pretty irritating at first but warms on you, I have to admit that I thought it would be a really annoying song but finally ended up enjoying it.

Whilst it's true that the singers voice is pretty high pitch, it's pretty in tune and doesn't really sound like someone has just waxed his legs. There's a point where he sounds a lot like Morrissey in fact.

Once I learnt of the story from where the song came from (he got mugged but his wife beat up the muggers), then I seemed to enjoy it even more.

The Rumble Strips seem to have decent influences ranging from ska through to Lou Reed, there's a nice use of sax throughout the album but you get the feeling the album sounds a bit amateurish at times - the track "London" is a pretty good example of this, there's quite a lot of filler words "ooh" etc and the production sounds a bit poor.

Mark Ronson produced it and it doesn't really work as well as it may have done. The album is quite catchy and certain songs have a great deal of potential but overall the album is not that strong, although there's a great deal of variation in tempo and instruments used, it seems a little bit too mesy and never as fast as it could be, combined with Waller's vocals which start to wear on you by the end and the lousy production. The middle of the album is the tightest part and gives it some credit. Dem Girls is also catchy.

1 Welcome To The Walk Alone
2 London
3 Not The Only Person
4 Daniel
5 Douglas
6 Back Bone
7 Sweet heart Hooligan
8 Running On empty
9 Dem Girls
10 Raindrops
11 Happy Hell

Summary: Hopefully the band will improve over time