You See Colours - Delays

Advantages: Brilliant collection of signature Delays falsetto pop anthems
Disadvantages: Doesn't compare to seeing them live

...pop anthems. The first thing you notice about this fabulous band is the vocals dished out by Greg Gilbert; how he manages to achieve the constant highs is something we can all make assumptions over but really we will never know. They are somewhat of an oddball band, not able to be slung into any specific category or style and not relatable to any current bands. I find the best fitting description to their music is somewhat electronic indie pop mixed ...
...when the song kicks in you can really get a feel for the melodic power of this bands music. It is subtle in more ways than one but still able to blow you away. Also present early on is their choice of first single to be brought from the album, 'Valentine'. This track is where the aforementioned electronic pop style really comes into play. An intro that will have you tapping and singing along, complete with intense Johnny Greenwood style muting which ... Read review

Advantages: 11 songs that lead on from their debut seemlessly
Disadvantages: none if you like the sound

...of his voice to give you the disco pop vibe of the opening tracks before really showing his skill as a song writer in the closing melodic love songs such as Lilian and Waste of Space. The album is constructed so well that the opposing tempos merge seemlessly into one 40 minute journey through the life and emotions of one of Britain's best, and least known, writers. I you liked the first album, then this one is for you. If you are into the new brit-pop ... Read review

Advantages: Feel good, lively, instantly likeable
Disadvantages: Too short!

...of Aaron Gilbert rather than lead vocalist Greg. A treat for the more hardcore of fans like myself that have been following them since the start of the career. Another catchy song that you feel compelled to move in some way to whilst listening to. Live this song is not one to be missed, the recorded version captures it well and will leave you wanting more. Next is the turn of a slower paced track aptly named "Slow Burn" a more mellow track but still a compelling listen. Greg's vocal range is given a fantastic opportunity at this time on the EP to really show the amazing capabilities he has. You get the sense that this is a song used to just slow the pace down after two such lively tracks, the same way in which they would use the song in a live format. "You See Colours" follows, a name familiar to any Delays fan as the name of their second... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A nice Summer pop album
Disadvantages: The high pitched vocals in places may be too much for some people

...to keep it moving and breaks up the mellower tracks just a little. There are a lot of decent tracks on the album but I did feel that "There's Water Here" didn't really fit into the overall feel of the album. It's quite a slow song with no real musical feel to it at all. The track seems to be almost spoken and although Greg's vocals do sound pretty good it feels like it is really lacking something and it takes a lot longer to get into than a lot of the other tracks on the album. On the whole though the album is quite good, there is room for improvement but as far as debuts go it's a decent effort. The band have since returned with their second album, You See Colours, and that is inevitably going to increase the fan base. I would happily recommend The Delays to anyone into Indie music and in particular the more recent Manic Street Preachers... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful