The Needles the Space

"The Needles the Space" is the second full-length album form Long Island quartet Straylight Run, following their 2004 debut self-titled LP and 2005 EP "Prepare to Be Wrong".

The album starts off with "The Words We Say", a soft, mid-tempo track that would not be out of place on Radiohead's "The Bends" album, and from the first verse the intertwining harmonies of the Nolan siblings, John and Michelle, which have become one of the hallmarks of Straylight Run's sound, are demonstrated to the listener, with great effect. The album is a progression in many ways for the band, not only in terms of being their first release since parting company with Victory Records, having now signed with the Universal Republic label, but also role-wise within the band, with Michelle now taking a fuller part vocally in the band than in previous Straylight releases - highlighted by her lead performances on the tracks "The Miracle That Never Came", "How Do I fix My Head?", "Cover Your Eyes", "Still Alone" and "This Is The End". This is however not to understate John's impetus in the band and the record. His impressive vocal range and powerful delivery are showcased in many songs on the album, in particular the lead single from the album "Soon We'll Be Living In The Future". This song, sure to become a fan favourite is physically impossible to not tap feet and sing along to after just one listen.



Musically too "Needles The Space" is a progression for Straylight Run, with a wide range of styles, beats and instrumentation, relying less heavily on the piano to drive their songs than on their previous works. For example the album features a polka-like feel in part of the song "Still Alone", as well as various tracks including parts played by cellos, clarinets, mandolins, trombones, saxophones and trumpets, as well as the standard piano, guitar, bass and drum line-up. This is not to say that the album is a an over-produced affair, with some songs, such as "Buttoned Down" and "Cover Your Eyes" being very much stripped down with little more than vocals and acoustic guitar. The lyrical content also is wide-ranging, leaving the listener intrigued to listen over again.

"The Needles the Space" is certainly a more technically advanced record than the band's previous work and many of the songs are significantly differently sounding than a lot of their previous material, whilst at the same time the record should still appeal to the bands existing fan-base as well enable them to gain more new fans. It is also one of those records that is good on a first listen, but is improved by every subsequent play thorough, which reveals new things that had previously not been noted by the listener, which is what turns a good record into a great record.

Straylight Run Website
Straylight Run Myspace

Words by Ben Priest