Album review: DESOLATION SOUND – Salish Rock

Robo Jack Records - [Release date: 28.07.2022]

What’s in a name?

For all fans of doom metal it’s time to look elsewhere as Desolation Sound are not the Lords of Valhalla that the name suggests.

In fact, anything but – they named themselves after the channel between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland, north of the place from where the band originates – Friday Harbo(u)r in Washington state USA.

They claim that living where they do infuses into their music, but this is hard to hear as the overarching vibe is one of ‘90s American ‘College Rock’ with touches of ‘Monster’ era REM and the pop rock of Tom Petty - but I would cite the most prominent influence as being the Gin Blossoms (remember them?).

Nothing wrong with that – I’ve always been a sucker for that jangly West coast guitar sound, although, it must be said, this is a little harder edged.

The album itself starts very promisingly with three great tracks – ‘Record Store’ (despite its entirely predictable lead-in of a stylus dropping into the groove) laments the demise of the local record shop – “R.I.P. Record store, why did you have to close your door?” (Amen to that), ‘Deepest Garden’, the most Gin Blossom-alike track with nice guitar and harmonies and ‘Yesterday Was Long Ago’ whose acoustic intro and rock riffage push it to one of the standouts.

‘Arms Around You’, ‘Evanesce’ (with its ‘What’s The Frequency Kenneth’ overtones) and ‘Caution To The Wind’ are the sort of songs that always turned up in American teen-movies of the ‘90s like ‘Empire Records’, ‘Cruel Intentions’, etc.

The instrumental title track sounds like a band having a good time and ‘Never Forget You’ is not what you would expect with guitars a-go-go.

‘Beautiful Sun’ takes the plaudits as the standout however, where they’ve slowed the pace down a little and included great harmonies and a killer chorus to mesmerising effect.

The album should have finished with ‘Beautiful Sun’ as it would have left you wanting more – as it is, closer ‘Can We Learn To Love Again’ really is as turgid as the title suggests although partly rescued by some tasty fretwork from guitarist Tom Henry.

There is much to like on ‘Salish Rock’ although, in truth, the album is a little one-paced, but, having said that, for a debut album, it really does sound good and full of promise for the band’s next album – which is due for release later this year.

Worth seeking out.

***1/2 Review by Alan Jones

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch 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)