Cordrazine - AlwaysComing Down

Thu 12th Aug, 2010 in Music Reviews

Although the Melbourne four piece broke up shortly after the success of the hit single Crazy all of the members remained active musically, either with solo releases or as touring musicians with bigger bands such as Silverchair.

The group have now reformed and released their second album Always Coming Down which is more polished than the sounds of their past. It’s clear that as soon as the opening, and title track, begins this band has soul and vocalist Hamish Cowan has an amazingly powerful voice, which is at the forefront of the entire record. The only problem is the pace and feel of the record which tends to drag after a few songs, with the melancholy vibe that the music emits only being broken up every now and then by tracks like the single Sunshine, which is a beautiful acoustic love song full of melody.

Despite the lack of variation in the record’s emotion, it is clear that this is still one talented bunch of guys, as the layering of the various instruments, although sometimes subtle, is done to perfection. The record ends with its most interesting moment, Untitled, an off kilter twist on the songs that came before it, which pushes the band’s experimental side.

The music is rooted in indie rock but borrows heavily from blues and, at times, pop when necessary to create a unique sound which they have managed to maintain, in comparison to their older material. This is a solid comeback for Cordrazine who have proven they still have what it takes to make good music.