"Welcome to the North" is the second album by UK alternative rock outfit The Music. Released in 2005 "Welcome to the North" represents that difficult second album. Following the success drawn from their self-titled debut album which really did make the Music a household name in the UK indie scene. The album itself was flawless from start to finish and their live show just took the songs and their reputation to the next level. No artist at that time was doing what they were doing as good as they were doing it.
But how would they follow it up? Well, it was much debated at the time as I think many expected a carbon copy of the first album. And while the core sound of The Music is still very much here. They did very much push the boundaries of their sound further with this album which I think is really what led to the debate. One thing I really notice on this album is the drumming performance by Phil Jordan as I think it's phenomenal. The three tracks in particular, where the drumming really makes the tracks are "Cessation", "Bleedin from within" and "Open your mind".
"Cessation" is notable for the sheer ferocity of the drumming, it's like he's moving his arms at 100mph. I remember at the time this album came out Phil said an interview he is scared to play it live due to how exhausting it is. But it is what makes the song so great. "Bleedin’ from within" is a landmark song from the band and probably the most memorable song they play live. It is one of their longest songs, maybe even the longest, sitting at over 6 and half minutes. But the reason why this song is so memorable live is because during a bridge later on, in the track each member has their own drum and are all playing at the same time. They used to pull this off amazingly live and the rest of the track is great too. Then there is album closer "Open your mind" where the drumming makes the song sound absolutely massive and epic. It's a great way to close an album and Rob Harvey's vocals on this are also excellent.
I've talked about three brilliant tracks on this album already and none were actually singles. The first single taken from this album was "Freedom Fighters". And you know when you have a favourite band or just any band you like, there is always one song at least which you feel is a let-down and doesn't give you the same buzz as the other tracks by them. Well, "Freedom Fighters" is that song for me. Now thing it is a decent song. But that's it. It just feels like such a generic song from a band who we know are capable of so much more and proved this both on their debut and even more so through other tracks on this album. "Welcome to the North" was another single which was much better. I thought this may become an anthem for the people who live in the north of England, but it never seemed to turn out that way despite how good the song is.
The final single taken from this album was "Breakin". Another all-out rocking dance track with a great groove to it. Much like album track "I Need Love" which has a great riff thanks to Adam Nutter. There is also a lighter side to this album which is seen through tracks 6-8 which are much different compared to anything on the first album. Most notably "Fight the Feeling" is arguably the slowest track they have ever done and is predominantly an acoustic track which has a gradual climb on the electric guitar at the end. Then there is the one two punch of "Guide" and "Into the Night" which really are absolutely magnificent. These tracks show the depth of talent the band has. They want to make every song great on an album. Not just a few good singles.
Overall, I still think The Music's debut album is their best. But this is still an absolute belter of an album which I think didn't really get the recognition it deserved at the time. But I think that's because the singles were slightly weaker this time round especially compared to their debut. But for those who did get their ears round the rest of the album they were well and truly rewarded with a load of wonderful tracks.
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