Share the post "Album Review: SPLIT SOFA – Coloured Dream"
Self-released – 3rd April 2013
Good news folks – dig out the kaftans, it’s 1967 all over again.
If the so-called ‘Summer Of Love’ did it for you way back in the day when The Fabs, The Beach Boys, Traffic and The Byrds, among countless others, dipped their feet into the multi-coloured world of psychedelia, then you’re going to love this.
Midlands-based Split Sofa (I don’t know whether the name is taken from an arrangement of furniture or something they’ve seen in the ‘Readers’ Wives’ section) have been delivering their own take on the genre for some time now – ‘Coloured Dream’ is the band’s sixth album – and whilst it might not be to everyone’s taste it cannot be denied that they make a damn fine job of what they do.
Eleven tracks on offer and all bar one self-penned – although as the album progresses you keep thinking ‘isn’t that so and so’ and ‘isn’t that who them’?
This, of course, is inevitable when you unashamedly plunder a bygone era, but it’s to the band’s credit that, with the exception of the opening track which is a shoo-in for The Who’s ‘I Can’t Explain’, it is nigh on impossible to nail just who it is.
It is also to the band’s credit that they manage to pull off what must be a labour of love without resorting to tired clichés or mere pastiche.
In fact, despite the psychedelic tone of the album, there are many contemporary twists scattered all over the place, not least in the outstanding fretwork of Joe Nicklin and the insistent, driving basslines of Gareth Williams.
Nowhere is this more evident than on ‘Move Like A Shadow’, probably the standout track, the chorus of which has one of those repetitive, tenacious riffs that stays with you for days.
Other highlights include ‘Don’t Breathe In’ with its outstanding guitar solo, the more downbeat ‘Fallin’ Leaves’, the anthemic ‘Alright’ and the excellent Beatles/Floyd mash-up of closer ‘Songbyrd / Merry Go Round’.
Split Sofa are unashamedly retro and wear their psych heart on their sleeves, but they certainly know their way around a good tune and there is so much to admire on ‘Coloured Dream’ that even hardcore hippy-haters would grudgingly admit finding something to enjoy.
I bet they’re a blast live as well.
***1/2
Review by Alan Jones
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
RIOGHAN Hands (Inverse Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album Review: SPLIT SOFA – Coloured Dream"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
