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theCOLOURS
30/ 7/2007
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theCOLOURS gate-crashed a thriving Reading music scene in early 2005 and instantly stood out from the crowd. Amidst the usual crop of indie, rock and metal bands, there was something pleasantly different about them: there still is. Piano, bass, drums and guitar - it's been done before, many times, but never like this. theCOLOURS are musically mature beyond their 23 years and dip into a pool of thousands of influences. From the obligatory Beatles to Kings of Leon, Radiohead all the way back to Pink Floyd with Coldplay, Neil Young, Kasabian, The Killers and countless others crammed in between. And who do they sound like? No-one, well everyone and no-one at the same time. But of course, every band in the world thinks that. How can I prove it to you? Well, you could start by having a listen to the band's debut EP Aurora Borealis, released in September 2006. The four tracks perfectly illustrate the band's diversity and range. From the epic opening of January (recalling a more exciting Coldplay) to the catchy glory of Bad Light, the record leaves you breathless. But how can words do justice to the music? How can they articulate the spine tingling melodies and driving rhythms? They can't. Writing about music is like trying to describe colours to a blind man, it can't be done and I should probably stop trying. Here's what some other people have said:- Emotive, anthemic indie rock with an almost military sense of purpose, aided by the singer’s strident falsetto. A high-pitched howl that holds its own against the stadium sized guitars. Fallen Soldiers comes with echoes of Talk Talk, which is always a promising sign, while even the more traditional Americanised rock bluster of Bad Light becomes irresistible with its angelic, synthesised backing vocals. Some might call it post-Coldplay, but big old anthems like this will never go out of fashion. Especially when unlike their peers, it's got a supple rhythm section - check out the Doves-y drums. Not just better than a Morning Runner, superior to most signed acts out there. theCOLOURS have been causing quite a stir in the press recently ... Whenever I see a band for the first time, there's a little hope somewhere inside that I will be blown away and fall in love with their sound, attitude, look, everything. On this night I had that blissful experience. Kicking off with "Bad Light" and "In and Out" from their criminally-good EP "Aurora Borealis", the four-piece were quickly into their stride, showing themselves to be tighter than a pair of jeans on a member of Razorlight ... theCOLOURS may be a band whose frontman plays a keyboard, but they are no Coldplay copyists. Far from it, in fact. Tom Newman's bass, and the washes of guitar from Henry Harding take things in a punchier direction, while Tony Folland's drumming is full of character and pizzazz. Topping things off are the vocals of Tom Pickford. He's no Chris Martin, he's far better than that, calling to mind Robert Plant in his pomp. Of course, the only way you can know for sure is to go and see them live. theCOLOURS have played to thousands up and down the country in venues as prestigious as The Grand in Clapham, The Metro, Dublin Castle, The Jericho, Cambridge, Oxford and Reading Universities as well as headlining numerous summer balls and festivals. Check out www.thecolours.co.uk to find out where they'll be next and go. Then you can make up your own minds. theCOLOURS have a huge and loyal fanbase that will only get bigger when their debut single hits the world in September. The appropriately titled Something New is so crammed full of hooks and riffs it sounds like it might explode at any moment like some spectacular musical firework. Surging, exhilarating power pop - there are enough tunes packed into its three minutes for a whole album and it speaks louder than a biography ever could. But don’t take my word for it… |
