Easyworld - 'This Is Where I Stand' (Jive)
3/5
By: Toby L
For the past eighteen months, Easyworld have been regulars on the gig-circuits up and down the UK, finding time to become one of the most common name support-acts in the scene as well. Music-wise, they've released a limited-edition single and mini-album on the indie-legend that is Fierce Panda, and have proceeded to follow this up with two singles and this, their debut LP, on Jive Records, thus allowing them to share a record-company home with none other than Ms 'Hit Me Baby' Spears.
Interestingly, the aforementioned female pop-icon may be in good company. After all, Easyworld's credentials lie within penning particularly affecting and pretty pop-tunes with a guitar-edge and the odd programming trickery that prevents them from sounding too 90s. Consequentially, the 'World are a refreshing three-piece, whose humour and sweetness outweighs their presence of pretension and ego.
'This Is Where I Stand' is a very strong, and occasionally exciting, first full-length effort. Its peaks particularly lay within each melody-kissed chorus and heart-warming performance from frontman Dav Ford and his falsetto voice, with numbers such as '100 Weight' and the soaring majesty of 'Junkies & Whores' both sounding like potential anthems-in-waiting, unashamedly performed, and not eclipsed by a temptation to serve as anything more 'cool' or 'current' (or as if they're from New York).
Unusually, the album also possesses a depth unheard of by many similar enterprises, with the LP's title-track providing a moving mid-record moment of what almost sounds like Ford crooning alone to himself in a shed, a rusty guitar strumming all the while. Elsewhere, the chirpy pop of 'Try Not To Think' and the sexual undertones of 'You & Me' make for exciting contrasts to the more sensitive seconds of the work - namely an epic closure on 'You Were Right', a mellow rocker echoing The Bluetones at their most sincere.
With 'This Is Where I Stand', Easyworld haven't so much as created one of the albums of the year, so much as they've produced one of the brightest and cutest guitar records you could hear in 2002. Seemingly, where they currently stand is in an enviable position.
Artists in this article: Easyworld
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