Vive Le Rock Gone To Ground Review Alfa 9

Published on 1st March 2013 (UK)

Media title : Vive Le Rock

Author : Tony Beesley

Second album of ’60s/’70s folk/country rock from Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Any disciple ofThe Byrds (including yours truly), and said band’s jangly ’60sfolk/pop will welcome this with openarms.That sound mixed with The Stone Roses and The Coral is what you haveon ‘Gone To Ground’.The long-awaited(seven-year hiatus) follow-up tocritically-applauded first outing’Then WeBegin’, this offering returns to classicshort and breezy 1965 evoking, richly-harmonised rock and it’s an accomplished and perfectly focussedalbum.Whilst the love of Clarke, Crosby,McGuinn and the various Byrds spin-offacts is evident throughout — creating asublime mix of 12-string led summer-breeze pop (Into the Light’,’GreenGrass Grows’) and up-tempo rockers (‘El Morroco’,’Seedless’ and ‘Old Man Blues’) – the overall result is an outstanding melodic soundtrack oforganically-created, skilfully crafted songs.

8/10