Cut Glass Kings are a Heavy Blues/Psych Rock duo from Stourbridge, West Midlands formed by childhood best mates Paul Cross(guitars/vocals) andGreg McMurray(drums). They release their new album ‘From a Distant Place’ this month which was produced by James Skelly (The Coral), as was their self-titled debut album.
The album opens with `Big Dreams`, a delightfully reflective emotive musing on possible childhood desires or ambitions that may not have been realised but hasn`t deterred the narrator from retaining those innocent ideals. There`s a kind of shimmer to this meditative consideration. Greg McMurrayhas shared that `At The Borderline` is almost like the bridge from our first record to this one. It shares some of its DNA. Another thoughtful offering that almost races along. A track with a driving beat that seems to refer to the duo and how they retain the desire to continue to make music together.
`Gift Horse` has a kind of trippy almost psychedelic vibe and seems to be more concerned and troubled with the welfare of others rather than themselves. There was an enticing but brief guitar solo interspersed with some aural dialogue in the latter section of the number. There appeared to be, for me, a kind of Lennon `Jealous Guy` texture to `Flying Saucer` which had a real sense of vulnerability about it, an openly emotional offering.
`Fever Dream’` is a further almost hallucinatory composition which is may have been expected as a fever dream is a strange experience or situation, usually a bad one, that seems like a dream rather than like something that would really happen. It starts fairly slowly and laid back before gaining pace and volume as it evolves and becomes the sort of song that bands like Jefferson Airplane would have excelled in, in their prime. There`s a fuzzy nigh on Bolan-ish glam rock feel to `Thick As Thieves` which seemed to be made for all those jeepsters or children of the revolution.
`The Crossing` is a fairly cinematic instrumental, maybe a bridge or musical interlude before the final tracks on the album. We enjoy a fairly illusory mesmeric bluesy slow burn with `Seven Signs` which seems to refer to somebody pleading for a partner to remain and try to work things out rather than desert them.
`Streetlight` is a melodious rolling rhythm and blues submission that seemed like a declaration of love. I thought that `Only The Fire` was a kind of retro sixties tinged psychedelic pop song not quite `Time of the Season` but heading there.
The final cut `Telephone Song` has a pulsing rhythmic like beat with some intricate guitar chords, a gentle, tender, and magnetic listen that really draws you into its layers and depths and a thoughtful piece to close out on.
The album title of ‘From a Distant Place’ really summed up this release, as the songs seemed to come from a deep and emotive location within this duo and shared with the wider world. There were some wonderfully soothing warm and sensitive numbers that provoked thought along with some irresistible foot tappers.
‘From a Distant Place’ should by all rights be the album that gives broader awareness to this almost undiscovered gem of a band.
Rating 9/10
