The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
Already building a great reputation as a songwriter based on his work with The Gaslight Anthem, Brian Fallon has shown his diversity with the debut album from side-project The Horrible Crowes.
Elsie is an album that, thankfully, isn't pandering to fans of The Gaslight Anthem, making this a worthwhile purchase and a great album in its own right.
It lacks the pace of Fallon's previous work, but tracks like 'Sugar' are warm and atmospheric.
Many of the tracks show a tender side to Fallon, akin to 'Here's Looking At You, Kid' from The '59 Sound.
Lyrically, it's not much of a deviation, but as a project The Horrible Crowes does well to stand on its own merit.
'Cherry Blossoms' is a beautiful song on a fantastically dark and soulful record.
Both Fallon and Ian Perkins deserve credit for Elsie as a piece of art, a record that flows as much more than just a collection of songs.
Tracks like 'Mary Ann' show another side to The Horrible Crowes, a much grittier, heavy track that makes you wonder what else this duo could come up with.
As a whole, this is a tender and dark album, remaining consistent and moving for its duration.
Brian Fallon has shown there's more to his song-writing than his Springsteen influence, combining with Perkins to create a sonically diverse and impressive album.
It's diverse whilst retaining its consistency, and one would hope that this isn't the last we hear of The Horrible Crowes.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Tagged in The Gaslight Anthem