So this is what Thursday frontman Geoff Rickley has been up to in his spare time. No, this isn’t his new band, but The Valley Arena are freshly signed to his Astro Magnetics label. In a way, TVA make perfect sense – they’re not really Thursday-soundalikes, but they have that post-hardcore sound, albeit an inventive and original one. The band themselves say they sound like Fugazi and early Q and Not U, but I’d say they’re a lot more accessible than those two groups.
‘Take Comfort In Strangers’ is the follow-up to the self-released EP, ‘Kinetic Aesthetic’. Their criss-crosing of the US gained them the attention of producer Jason Cupp (Rilo Kiley, Finch) who agreed to produce this album, despite the fact the band weren’t signed. That’s where Mr Rickley comes in – the story goes that he saw them live and was so impressed he offered them a deal on the spot. On the basis of this record it’s not too difficult to see why. There’s a British feel to this album; at various points it sounds like Blur if they started to rock out a bit more, especially vocally. ‘What We Can Steal’ comes across like a band steeped in the roots of English bands from the 80s, although many will be pleased to note there are no keys in sight.
Tracks like ‘Paint In Red’, ‘Piano Wire’ and ‘Into The Lion’s Mouth’ all stand out. This is an impressive record, not overdoing the angular guitar or jumping on any potential Thursday-isms. There’s next to no screaming and no needless breakdowns – absolutely no worries that this is a band following any rulebook. The guitar tones sound great throughout too and on ‘The Metal Of Your Teeth’ the band rock out with the production threadbare, yet it sounds spot on. The Valley Arena will get a lot of press because of the label they are signed to, but they do deserve the plaudits for being a great band in their own right. Well worth checking out.
www.thevalleyarena.com
Astro Magnetics
Paul