Review Summary: A debut album from Nathan Henry formally of Sherwood who has released a real beaut full of positive connotations and hope.
So here it is folks, a great example of how Kickstarter can be a benefit and can really show its worth. We have seen enough giant pointless sculptures of dragons made from macaroni or money raised to send a model Tardis into orbit. This I believe is what Kickstarter was meant for. Bands with undoubted talent and who have massive followings but would struggle to get on their feet, or back on their feet. The reason for this is because some record companies don’t see them as viable because they won’t sell a million records. Well thank god we can now give these guys a musical middle finger.
Nathan Henry, formally of the band Sherwood began his Kickstarter campaign at the end of July last year and was successfully funded by fans of his previous work and believers of the new project. In under nine months the album “The Distance” has been released and all I can say is that it is a definite win for the band and its fans.
The Begging Sea have carried over a lot of what was so good about Sherwood. Simple, effective and what can only be described as clean melodies. Fans of Sherwood will be able to relate to a lot of the songs as Nathan’s voice has not changed at all(which is a very good thing.) However, The Begging Sea are without a doubt very different to Sherwood though comparisons will of course be drawn. It is certainly not correct to brand this band as pop punk however I did feel it was the most relevant genre as fans of pop punk will undoubtedly appreciate this.
The album on a whole is very flowing and very well arranged. The opening track “Tree of Life” is all about getting through life without regret and being fundamentally happy. The guitars are very bright and lay out a very positive foundation for the rest of the album. One Thing that I have never been able to get enough of is Nathan’s vocal harmonies. In the past I have likened them to that of The Beach Boys and that’s how high I regard them.
Track two All We Got was actually used to promote The Kickstarter campaign but has since been re-recorded with more acoustic guitar and more solid vocals. This song is a contender for song of the album. It has everything you could possibly want from a song on a very summery album.
The first single from the album is Lightly Stepping. At first I thought this a strange selection for the first single as I feel that it is not true to the album’s overall feel. This album is made for the outdoors and a sunny day where you are surrounded by your favorite people. Lightly Stepping has a an almost melancholy quality to it that perhaps doesn't reflect the overall theme of the album. Individually though, it is a very strong song. The subtle lead guitar in the background is very well written and occasionally drifts in and out of the vocal melody which really helps the flow of the song.
I was going to outline some other key tracks on the album, “The highlights” but to be honest I would be more or less be covering the album song by song. All I can say is that if you want a powerful, positive and pleasant musical experience this album is for you.
Nathan Henry’s first shot at a solo project has overshot his target I believe, fittingly like his Kickstarter campaign did. Lyrics are very sound, catchy and also very clever. At times you can’t help but miss the energy and pace which Nathan has produced in the past but like I said it would be unfair to compare the two bands. Though their styles aren't far divorced from each, there is certainly a massive difference in the way Nathan writes his solo work and a lot of songs from “The Distance” have benefited from this.
