Some Kind Of Salvation

Having been championed by Kings of Leon to the point of their being the first band signed to Serpents and Snakes (the record label that KOL launched in 2009), it is safe to say there is a certain amount of pressure resting on The Features as they release their second album, Some Kind of Salvation.

Originally self-released in 2008, this record was produced after twelve years of virtual obscurity for the Tennessee natives, and based on the quality of the end result, this doesn’t seem to have done them any harm at all.

Listening to individual tracks, it is easy to draw comparisons between The Features and the rich harmonising of Fleet Foxes, the aggressive vocals of Dave Grohl, and even hints towards the gypsy-punk sound of Gogol Bordello during the opening track, ‘Whatever gets You By’. Yet, even with this myriad of influences and styles they manage to maintain a distinctive sound all of their own. ‘GMF (Genetically Modified Fable)’ opens rather distilled and slowed down, only to develop into scuzzy, guitar-heavy rock song with a breakdown just waiting to be shouted by a stadium crowd.

Single ‘Lions’ is exactly the sort of song that should be blaring out across festivals this summer; a simple-but-catchy chorus and a chilled-out organ sound that quite frankly makes you want to lie in a field and drink some cider. Even a song like ‘Concrete’, whose electronic drum beat could have been taken straight from the 80’s, still retains the rock edge that pervades the whole record, and provides an interesting and not unwelcome foray into unusual territory.

This album does nothing to suggest that The Features are anything but supremely confident songwriters and performers, able to remain easy-going and relaxed while playing perfectly and with a passion many bands are unable to muster.

While the album is pretty damn good, their ‘amp-popping live show’ (as described recently by MOJO magazine) could also be worth checking out, so catch them when they embark on their UK tour at the end of April (including a Birmingham show at the Hare & Hounds on the 20th). The next big thing? Only time will tell.