:: Arctic

Arctic

This comes from a Melbourne band that has attracted a good following in live performances in pubs and festivals. They spent some time preparing for this initial long form release and the band has set themselves for a big year. This album makes a good immediate impression. There is the impact of the gorgeous vocals by Kate Leduc, and she is well backed by her three male companions. The opening track, “Blue Eyes” is effectively simple and smooth, in a country-pop mould, and well produced. In listening to the next few tracks, it becomes apparent that there is a confident, accessible sound willing to be embraced by a wide audience. Arctic does cover various styles, so listeners should find the set appealing. There are bouncy pop and soulful R&B elements, with Kate exhibiting the sassiness of a pretty cool pop queen. And I suspect there is much more to offer. A couple of highlights are the passionate vocals on track 11 “I Won’t Be There”, and the efficient guitar work on track 6 “One More Night”. And there is a cool, upbeat, closing track, “Be All my Only”. Overall, the bouncy, energetic arrangements, that shows up in the main, gives Arctic some impetus to look ahead with confidence. Hopefully, key people will recognise the potential ahead. http://www.arcticband.com