Lonely The Brave - 'Things Will Matter (Redux)' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Things Will Matter (Redux)

2. Black Mire (Redux)

3. What If You Fall In (Redux)

4. Rattlesnakes (Redux)

5. Diamond Days (Redux)

6. Play Dead (Redux)

7. Dust & Bones (Redux)

8. Radar (Redux)

9. Tank Wave (Redux)

10. Strange Like I (Redux)

11. Boxes (Redux)

12. Jaws Of Hell (Redux)

It’s a strange thing to review a revisit of an album you’ve never heard…how different is it? Have the songs been reinvented in a new and unique manner, incorporating sounds and rhythms picked up whilst on tour or back packing in the Hindu Kush? Do they represent a bold and imaginative new direction?

Couldn’t tell you I’m afraid!

What I can tell you is that this album has a gloriously dark feeling to it, with the songs pared down to almost a guest spot in a dingy New York bar kind of sound which is great…there’s a brooding intimacy that I suspect they were written to have but was lost in the mix of the album. Standouts are 'Rattlesnakes', 'Diamond Days' and 'Radar' where David Jakes’ voice really stirs the senses and connects with the listener.

The other songs are great but these three just make you want to say to the imaginary bar keep..,. ”I’ll have what he’s having” They say the second album is always the difficult one. It’s often seen as a measure of a bands confidence in themselves and their sound.

So what to make of the fact that Lonely the Brave have revisited their second album, 'Things Will Matter', a year after its release? Is it a crisis of confidence? Is it an admission that the album wasn’t what they wanted? Did they forget those all important triangle solos? Is it a clever marketing ploy so they can afford the heated seats option in their next car?

It’s clearly not a crisis of confidence, given that this album is more a fans album than a one-eye on the charts pure commercial release, but is it worth adding to your collection, nestled alongside it’s original incarnation? For the fan yes, it’s definitely worth adding to your collection.

For the casual listeners amongst you, I can’t say if this is better than the original but it’s certainly worth a listen.