I Am Arrows – Sun Comes Up Again
Review by Jack Foley
I AM Arrows is the new incarnation of former Razorlight man Andy Burrows and, quite simply, his debut LP Sun Comes Up Again is one of the debut albums of the year.
Chock full of beautiful pop songs that fuse Seventies soul with modern beats and blips, as well as timeless melodies that channel the memory of everyone from McCartney to Crowded House to Badly Drawn Boy, it’s a masterpiece of easy listening.
What’s more, it showcases the multi-instrumentalist skill of Burrows, who plays every instrument on the LP, as well as display his exceptional song-writing ability. Really and truly, Razorlight’s loss is huge… and our gain immeasurable.
Having taken a (drumming) back seat for too long with Razorlight (but contributing in no small way to the success of their sophomore release in 2008), Burrows appears to be having immense fun, and his energy and enthusiasm is utterly infectious.
The album doesn’t put a foot wrong throughout. Opening track Nun sets the standard immediately, unfolding via handclap beats, cute guitar licks and a keen mix of edgy/falsetto vocals that give rise to a deliriously feel-good chorus (complete with shimmering indie-pop elements).
Green Grass drops in some knowingly DIY-sounding blips, as if delivered via a Casio keyboard, before adding glockenspiel chimes and a lovely acoustic strum that talks of Hollywood and California escaping. It’s lush, breezy and – during its great chorus – soulful to boot.
Nice Try is sleek pop perfection that teases with a bouncing piano loop, while Far Enough Away drifts beautifully into the type of mid-tempo balladry that Crowded House specialise in. It’s so laidback that you’ll be smitten immediately.
Monsters Dash unfolds amid a cinematic and deeply melancholy piano arrangement that follows perfectly from the mood set by Far Enough Away, with Burrows dropping a near-perfect vocal flourish (amazingly, it lasts for barely a minute!).
And No Wonder restores the upbeat vibe, building from an acoustic intro into a glockenspiel laden celebration of romance that exists to put a smile on the listener’s face.
There’s then a vaguely vaudeville-style quality to the quirky pop of So Long Ago, which finds Burrows channelling the troubadour style of Badly Drawn Boy or Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
Incredibly, however, the album just keeps getting better. The Us is a tremendously inspiring pop song complete with one of the album’s catchiest choruses (“if this is the us you’ve fallen for, I guess it’s what we all long for”), and the odd string flourish, while Another Picture of You is a really fine, McCartney-esque ode to the memory of a girl he can’t get out of his head.
Hurricane builds from a stripped back opening (acoustic guitar and vocals) to another falsetto driven, folk-pop celebration that’s another gem, while Battle For Hearts & Minds comes over all vaguely psychedelic and displays the slightly darker side of Burrows’ make-up. It nevertheless maintains the high quality and shows an interesting new side to his make-up.
Park Slopey then drops a fine opening beat and some gritty guitar riffs to revisit psychedelic territory, and darker territory (“this year I’ve been stealing from my brother”). It could be called David Holmes-esque in the way it channels some of that DJ-producer’s material instrumentally.
Bruises is a great piano-led ballad that reminded me, once again, of Crowded House material, blossoming into a really emotional finish, while You’ve Found Love ends things on a note of Lennon-esque optimism to round out the LP in beautiful fashion.
Like we said, Burrows doesn’t put a foot wrong throughout this masterful debut. I Am Arrows has therefore hit the bullseye with what really has to rate as one of the listens of the year. Let it enrich your life.
Download picks: Far Enough Away, The Us, Hurricane, Another Picture of You, You’ve Found Love, Bruises, No Wonder, Nice Try
Track listing:
I am arrows. well, this is an amazing ablum – it gets not one, but two thumbs up from me. I just hope they’re just as live when I see them with Muse!
Skippy Aug 25 #