Gramercy - 'Hold On' (Redemption)
4/5
By: Kevin Molloy
Some bands worry far too much about their image. From the naked (female) silhouettes on the record sleeve to the strutting swagger of the vocals and the anthemic chanted chorus line, Gramercy are a band that wear their seventies credentials unashamedly in public.
But this isn't crass or ironic. 'Hold On' is as sincere as any Eagles mid-tempo ballad, the swagger just straining behind a carefully and adeptly measured softer pace. The more obvious comparison is probably Fleetwood Mac - here are the same loving harmonies and gentle strummings, along with those hazy, drifting melodies. But the best part of the deal is that none of this sounds like a rehash... it bears a stamp of timelessness rather than the mark of age.
Whilst 'Hold On' has the potential to become tedious (as with much of Fleetwood's material), two strong b-sides (the gorgeously hippie 'Possibilities' and balladeering 'Please Don't Lie') back up a radio-friendly a-side with the assurance that there's more (and further interesting) material to come, and leave us at that tender point between satisfaction and a growing appetite for more... Savour it before they're too big to play anything but stadiums.
Artists in this article: Gramercy
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