"An earthier-sounding Cat Stevens" -DBA Review
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:48 pm
Well, well, well. What do we have here? http://www.performermag.com/sep.recorde ... s.0801.php
Chapel Hill, N.C. quartet Down By Avalon steer clear of modern bells and whistles and find solace of the simplicity of the ‘60s and the ‘70s for its debut. Like last summer’s next-big-things Peter Bjorn and John and I’m From Barcelona, Down By Avalon seek to let relatively unembellished melodies do the talking, and the end results reflect a deep admiration for traditional pop music. However, though the band prides itself in its ability to write classic pop music, the real strength lies in the warm, folk, almost hippie vibe it projects into and onto the listener.
It is felt within the first few notes singer Alan Martin drips out over the album’s opener “Yes She Said.†An earthier-sounding Cat Stevens, Martin’s wise, soulful voice hugs this song (one of the album’s best) with the same sage affection as he does in other tracks like “Stand Me Down†and “All the Crazy Things.â€
The good vibrations are not merely picked up by Martin’s voice, however. While the disc’s instrumentation is sparse, it is never hollow, and little adornments such as an organ in “Everything I’ll Ever Need†and a far-out time-change in “I Am Not†are subtle enough for the music of Down By Avalon to hold its own without overpowering the singer.
Down By Avalon’s debut stands as a reminder that music is not merely about the arrangement of notes or words, but about the feelings it brings when listened to. (Urban Myth Recording Collective)
http://www.myspace.com/downbyavalon
-Melinda Hanna