The October Game - Wildblood
Review by Jack Foley
THE October Game can proudly lay claim to having Elbow’s Guy Garvey among their growing fanbase. The frontman reportedly rushed out to buy a pre-release copy of their debut Wildblood album after catching them live.
To be fair to Mr Garvey, it’s easy to see why he became so excited. The October Game appeal to Elbow’s sensibilities given their knack for layered, emotive and often highly atmospheric songwriting.
In that regard, they’re also worthy of appeal to fans of acts like Idlewild, Snow Patrol and Arcade Fire…
Mastered by Frank Arkwright (Arcade Fire, Gomez, Belle & Sebastian), Wildblood is an album drenched in ideas and lush, complex instrumentation.
Guitars are very much at the fore and often provide thrilling backdrops to the lyrics. But each song feels lovingly crafted, meticulously performed and with stadium-sized greatness in mind.
If there’s a criticism, it’s that the LP lacks one distinctly radio-friendly track that might help propel them firmly into the public consciousness. But if they continue in this vein, then surely quality will prevail!
The highlights on this album fly thick and fast, from Right On Time, with its snappy bassline and brooding vocal interplay, to the masterful guitar-led Concrete (When We Were Invincible), which hooks you in from the start with its lush central melody and strong chorus.
Former single Greenbacks, meanwhile, is slow-building, meticulously layered much in the same way as an Elbow track, and nicely brooding – it’s the sound of a band that clearly has a lot of confidence in its own ability.
Self-described album centre-piece Something Wrong ebbs and flows in the same way that the likes of Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros manage to meander so intelligently through their own vivid soundscapes, drawing on strings late on to really heighten the emotional investment.
While Where The Devil Loses Out thrives from its bustling percussion and keen mix of piano and guitar-work.
Album closer Night Vessels, meanwhile, ensures the album is brought to a suitably epic close by allowing didgeridoos to rumble side by side with sparkling electronic loops. It’s an impressive finish to a debut album that’s really worth taking notice of.
Download picks: Greenbacks, Right On Time, Concrete (When We Were Invincible), Something Wrong, Where The Devil Loses Out, Night Vessels
Track listing: