Reviewed by Paul Keeble

Gleam Of Dawn are a five-piece band from York and this nine-track album is made up of three tracks recorded in a decent studio and the rest, er, not, and although the demos here don't actually sound at all bad, the random switching between full-on rock and acoustic gives a bit of a disjointed feel leaving one wondering what impact this would have had as a three or four track EP with a better cover (sorry - I see the symbolism in a lighthouse, but it just isn't rock'n'roll). That said, what about the music itself? There are some excellent tunes here and very tidy playing with good use of harmonies (not just voices but also guitars à la Wishbone Ash/Kings X). Standout for me is the title track, closely followed by "10:45" and "Ever After", but there are other nice sections and a number of interesting production ideas. The weak spot is the lyrics which need more work and originality, but these are talented guys and I'm sure that aspect can improve. Lots of potential here - definitely a band to watch.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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