Labels: Ignition
Review by: Mike Whelan
I won’t lie, I like Chamberlain. Even before I got sent this CD I’d been a bit of a fan for a couple of years, ever since someone recommended their (sort of) first album, “Fates Got A Driver’ to me. Unfortunately Chamberlain split up a while ago, before this, their final album, was even released.
This album is nothing like “Fates Got A Driver’, or even their follow-up “The Moon My Saddle’. Both of those albums were big-sounding indie-rock with a hint of emo, “Exit 263′ sounds more like a folk-rock album. Don’t let this put you off though. There are still lots of great songs, from the melodic opener “Lovely and Alone’ to the clever blues sound of “Santa Fe’ and “Masterpiece’. Occasionally singer David Moore manages to sound a lot like Bob Dylan, and this only adds to the roots/country sound which Chamberlain have chosen for this record. The guitar is played really well on these tracks, even if the lyrics are sometimes pretty unmemorable the melody manages to carry the song.
If you like Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen then you’ll probably love this album, if you just fancy something a bit different, it is still worth a listen. Chamberlain don’t pander to any current trends on “Exit 263′, they’ve just made the sort of album that they really wanted to make. There are enough good songs to make it a good listen, but “Exit 263′ never reaches the heights that Chamberlain set on “Fates Got A Driver’ which is a shame as it could have been a great final act for the band.