Photo Credit: Sam Crawston
Manchester indie-rockers Corella self-released their debut album Once Upon A Weekend earlier this month. The band, vocalist Joel Smith, guitarist Jack Taylor, bassist Ben Henderson and drummer James Fawcett, have been playing music together since their university days and have built a good fanbase throughout the UK in the past few years.
The album opener Don’t Stop Me is a high energy start, super-charged vocals alongside dreamy indie guitars, making this a head nodder from the word go. As we sit and write this review the day after seeing Corella play a storming set at Grand Central in Liverpool, as part of the Sound City, we can guarantee that this album will push the band on to the next level. The 3000 or so that witnessed their half-hour set were singing every word back to them, with amazing scenes around the hall. Anyway, back to the album. We predict Let Me Go will be a summertime anthem, the vocals from Joel Smith on this one reminds us of a young Bryan Adams with the husky voice. The chorus is very catchy, with the lyrics “You need to let go let me go, before I let go,” which prompted a massive singalong in Liverpool – they also played it at the record signing event at The Jacaranda on Sunday. Drifting is another one of those tracks that sounds great live, some of the guitar work from Jack Taylor at the end is incredible. Lyrically, it’s another singalong tune: “Listen up boys, it’s the same old story/Daydream ‘bout the fame and glory.” They are telling tales of their youth.
Head Underwater adds some synth and it works to maximum effect alongside the melodies. Next up is Lady Messiah, already a very popular track in Corella‘s live set, as we found out on Sunday as 3000 people were singing it back to them. Perhaps the simplified chorus helps with that. Hometown is a more stripped-back, acoustic track with Smith’s vocals a standout alongside another great guitar riff from Taylor. The energy rises again for I Don’t Know Your Name, somewhere along the lines of what you would hear from The Gaslight Anthem, with yet again great melodies and feel-good, summery indie music. Tommy Loser seems to be written about someone from their past as we find out about Tommy’s life, maybe he was the school bully? The album ends with Rock The Boat, starting off slowly acoustically and building towards the end to an anthemic crescendo of guitars and drums, thus ending the album on a high.
Once Upon A Weekend has been released at the right moment, just in time for summer arriving, and you can be assured you will hear some of these tracks along the lines. Corella are currently touring the album with most shows already sold-out, alongside numerous festivals during the summer. Best catch this band soon, if you want to see them before they take on the bigger arenas.
9/10
Standout Tracks: Let Me Go, Drifting, Lady Messiah
For Fans Of: The K’s, The Reytons, The Clause
Written by: Alan Brown
