Rook and The Ravens

"Hailing from the hills on the east side of Manchester, Rook and The Ravens are loosely part of the recent wave of tuneful Americana-flavoured indie that's been lapping around the fringes of Manchester for a while now and with their debut album almost ready to go, things are indeed looking bright. They sound like a ride in an open-top car on a sunny day, which is not a concept generally associated with Glossop. There's no hidden agenda, no tricks, it's all about the tunes. They are quite clearly massive Neil Young fans, and their songs are gritty but upbeat, Americana without actually sounding American, full of hooks and harmonies that are so perfect it's not much of a surprise to learn that the lead vocalists are brothers. It's a pretty well-worn path they're on but such is their way with a melody they sound timeless as opposed to dated."
(Cath Aubergine for MANCHESTERMUSIC, 2009)

ROOK AND THE RAVENS - SIXTEEN HOLES IN SIXTEEN SOULS

Sixteen Holes in Sixteen Souls is the debút album from Rook and The Ravens, a band from Laurel Canyon-esque hillside obscurity on the outskirts of Manchester. The album encompasses a deep-rooted belief in the three pillars of songwriting: chorus, harmony and that BIG sound, fast becoming a circuit trademark of the five-piece. Providing the unshakeable foudation on which to build, producer Andy MacPherson (The Who, Teenage Fanclub) at Revolution Studios in Cheadle Hulme presides over one of the most honest and definitive debút efforts in recent years. Sitting in the pantheon of rock alongside a keen admiration of Neil Young's work and an appreciation of contemporaries Kings of Leon and The Killers, Rook and The Ravens deliver a message to all sides in the scene war, mining the best parts of their influences and packaging the result into neat ingots of indie pop gold.

Achieved completely self-sufficiently, Sixteen Holes in Sixteen Souls is the sound of a hard working band discovering their work has paid off. Lead single "Alpha" is a mission statement: keyboard hooks, punchy rhythm section, fluid guitar lines with a crunchy edge, and a soaring triple-pronged, lyrical, vocal attack on the art of being able to let go. The rest of the album follows suit. From the false sense of security opener "Fiery Eyes" lulls the listener into before its aural panzer attack, to the Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac pop sheen of "On The Cusp", there is a space for every shade of promise. You can hear Neil Young in "The Girl With A Chip On Her Shoulder" and Simon and Garfunkel in "Maisie", and more than a hint of Crosby, Stills and Nash in "Make Ends Meet".

A timeless album that still sounds rooted in today, a pop record that retains its credibility amongst a host of paper-thin contemporaries and a genuine homegrown will to succeed, Sixteen Holes in Sixteen Souls is released on October 5th 2009.

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"Hailing from the hills on the east side of Manchester, Rook and The Ravens are loosely part of the recent wave of tuneful Americana-flavoured indie that's been lapping around the fringes of Manchester for a while now and with their debut album almost ready to go, things are indeed looking bright. They sound like a ride in an open-top car on a sunny day, which is not a concept generally associated with Glossop. There's no hidden agenda, no tricks, it's all about the tunes. They are quite... (read more)