ONE MILE AN HOUR – One Mile An Hour (Snowbird Records)

OMAHThis debut album by London band One Mile An Hour has a magical quality that deserves the listener’s attention. The opener ‘Sunken Ships’ starts with a light touch on guitar and Jeff Kightly‘s voice dreamily floats through the melody. The song builds with the addition of drums and distorted guitars giving body to the song.

The wistful ‘Troubled Roots’ has more of a blues feel to it, but with the added harmonies that lace all the tracks on the album, making it less stereotypical. If comparisons can be made to the feel of the album it would be a cross between early The Pretty Things and the later works of Robert Plant. Indeed Kightly’s voice has more than a passing resemblance to a young Robert Plant.

This comparison becomes even stronger in ‘Magpie Song’ . Although the voice and music are lighter than Plant, the style of the guitar work and husky vocals are not a million miles away from the album Mighty Re-arranger.

‘Freight Train’ is an instrumental that drives with the rhythm of a steam engine, but is all too short. Just as soon as it picks up a head of steam it pulls into the station! My only complaint is that this track should have been longer, because it left me wanting more.

The final epic track ‘Nine Eight’ has electric lead played with an eastern style and the slow ebb and flow of the music from light to heavy is hypnotic. This is easily the best track on a very strong first album. One Mile An Hour are a band to watch out for.

Ron D Bowes

Artist’s weblink: www.onemileanhour.com