IT BITES ‘Map Of The Past’

March 19th, 2012 by jason

Inside Out (2012) www.itbites.com

The press blurb states this is the band’s first concept album but it is a very loose one based upon ‘the discovery of an old family photograph’ and going into the past to fix things that went wrong.

With bassist Lee Pomeroy now firmly encased in the band’s line-up the band have a settled feel and this doubtless helps in producing an album like this that is more progressive and less of an instant hit than their excellent comeback album ‘The Tall Ships’. You need to stick with the album and you will be amply rewarded. Songs like ‘Cartoon Graveyard’ (superbly catchy chorus with lots of guitar and keyboard runs) and ‘Wallflower’ have a fast and melodic pace to them. ‘Meadow And The Stream’ sounds like It Bites meets Kino, although that’s hardly surprising given the shared members in both bands. If bands like It Bites could still have hit singles then this would be one. Both John Mitchell and John Beck have some excellent guitar and keyboards interplay respectively throughout the album.

The ELO/Jeff Lynne approved strings that usher in ‘Send No Flower’ are simply immense and lead into a reflective song with a stop/start vocal. ‘Flag’ is a straight forward number, the nearest to the band’s 80’s/90’s output.

This is definitely more progressive and in parts a much more relaxed musical affair than the band’s previous albums, and I am sure it will prove a hit with the band’s fans.

****1/2

Jason Ritchie

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