  
Northern Ireland blues rockers The Answer have
found huge success shifting copies of their back
catalogue worldwide. What on their first 2 albums
2006’s “Rise” and 2009’s
“Everyday Demons”, you’ll instantly
be bopping along and tapping your feet more with
each twangy riff. Between the remarkable debut
and the even more impressive follow up have a
direct link to their outstanding touring history
with the likes of AC/DC and Deep Purple. Often
in the rock industry, big headedness and arrogance
can have a negative effect down the line, could
this tragic fate affect one of Northern Ireland’s
biggest rock sensations?
>No, simple answer right there. Once again I feel
they’ve refined their sound even further
here, improving their writing style further and
polishing their tones. “Waste Your Tears”
sets the pace; bouncy, twangy, quite heavy and
downright sleazy. That gritty tone is still in
play here but they’ve brought it back to
a much better balance, I almost forgot to begin
thinking about reviewing the album because every
time I turn it on I whip my head all over the
place causing myself neck trauma, it’s great
to see a band still pushing the boundaries of
a classic style. “Trouble” really
brings out the bands blues roots; harmonica’s,
sharp twangy tones and appropriate pace, such
a great thing to come across when band’s
encompassing the blues style are in short supply.
There’s one song, which quite frankly has
one of the most beautiful duet’s I have
ever heard. It’s called “Nowhere Freeway”
and features the vocal talents of a Miss Lynne
Jackaman who is the lead vocalist for Saint Jude;
due to the higher pitch of The Answer’s
vocalist Cormac Neeson, the pair’s vocal
lines blend together quite naturally, never before
have I heard 2 voices work together in such harmony
on one song. I’ve gone through it a fair
few times now, I have been expecting some fillers
to be in place to space out some truly amazing
tracks but there really isn’t any, every
track on the album has the band’s heart
and soul flooded into it; each track is a standalone
anthem in its own right, whether it’s the
powerful “One More Revival”, the infectious
“Na na na na na na”’s of “Vida
(I Want You)” or the sweet ringing tones
from “Lights Are Down”, each track
has its own unique characteristics to gain attention.
This is definitely a record that’s going
on my list of contenders for my number 1 spot
this year. The band from what I witnessed at Download
2010 can kill it live as well, I had no intentions
of attending their UK tour next year, as I didn’t
feel that having seen them perform their 2 albums
I couldn’t justify spending the money. However
now they’ve got a new album, not only that
but a new album that’s as outstanding as
this that now warrants my attendance.
4.5/5
Review by James Webb
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