Released in 2002, this was Irish-rock band Wilt's follow-up to their hard working effort in 2000; "Bastinado".
Now, I'm sure very few of you will know anything by them - I still know very little!! Some basic details are there are 3 of them in the band, they originated from a previous band - "Kerbdog", and they're signed to Mushroom Records and it was produced by Dave Eringa who's previously done work with the Manic Street Preachers and Idlewild.
I brought the album on the Internet after hearing opening track "Distortion" on MTV2 and becoming a big fan of it, and the second track on the album "Understand" on the radio. It was available at a cheap price, so I thought "hey, why not?!"
It's certainly an accomplished piece of work from the band on first impressions - their style, especially when listening to tracks such as "Distortion", "Understand" and "Dave You Were Right" suggest and highlight a band extremely keen on melodic rock music - something caught between REM and Bush, as well as Idlewild and the Manic Street Preachers thrown in there - which is no surprise then that Eringa produced this album considering his previous work.
Tracks such as title track "My Medicine" instantly back-up such the similarities with REM - especially the vocal consistencies of REM's Michael Stipe and Wilt's Cormac Battle; there's an uncanny resemblance after a couple of listens.
"Take Me Home" was another single off the album, or so my basic research shows, which is surprising for me, as I feel it's style is somewhat "off key" compared to other tracks, such as the other single "Distortion". The slight distorted vocal effects don't work for me, and although the powerful chorus does redeem it somewhat, a track such as "Dave You Were Right" with it's cracking melodies and very popular-culture structure or "Family Man", a song that once you listen to it, listen to a heavier Snow Patrol song such as "Spitting Games"…yes, I'm sure there's something very similar too!
Some people may say their style of loud choruses against quiet verses died out a decade ago when "grunge" began to fade out, but for me it still works well. Jumping into loud power-chord chorus from slow, building verses shows great enthusiasm and excitement and an excellent adrenaline, particularly when performed live.
Unfortunately, the album misses out on the 5-star treatment from me - due to the age-old argument that a couple of tracks later on fail to impress - songs like "Station" and "Tell You Too Much" just don't seem to have anything in them for me…although no doubt others will disagree once they hear them, and some of the tracks are awfully similar. Yes, the sound is good, but variation for me often out does repetition. But please, don't deter you from potentially buying this album…what there is to listen to is great.
Oh, and the number of comparisons I've made here may suggest to some that they sound unoriginal…but think about it though, with comparisons such as REM and the Manics, they're in good company!!
Download something by them today - I must recommend "Distortion" or "Dave You Were Right"…you never know, they may just become your new favourite band…or to use the obvious pun of the album's title - it may be just what the doctor ordered!
You can pick it up off Amazon, only in "Used & New" however, from £1.49…coincidently; I'm selling my copy on there for £3.99 if anyone's interested?! (It's in top condition!)
For a bottom line, it's just such a shame these guys never made the big-time…as this album indicates, they had the music and the talent to do so, but now we'll never know!
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Prior toMy Medicine, Irishmen Wilt had certainly been through the musical mill. When known ... more
as Kerbdog, they were signed to a major and produced some of the finest melodic metal outside of Seattle. Yet they just could not shift CDs in any quantity, poss...
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