I’m sure most of you will have heard of It Bites. They are a British pop/Prog band that had one huge hit with Calling All The Heroes from their first album. However, Once Around The World (the band’s second album) is regarded as a masterpiece, and you should definitely own that. This album is a lot different to that. The one connecting factor is Francis’s voice. It’s such a distinct and powerful thing that it dominates all before it. There are no drums on the album, just programmed beats. I think acoustic is the type of album you would pigeon hole it in, although it is much more than that.
It’s definitely a heartfelt personal record and at times, you will have tears appear randomly in your eyes as things become personal to you. The track Hometown means something to me as I used to visit the town in question everyday as part of my then job. The surrounding area that he sings of is indeed a beautiful place and instantly I’m taken back 25 years when I hear this. I’m In Love, Me And Francine, In The Garden Of Mystic Lovers, and Blinded By The Memory are such beautiful songs and waves of melancholy sweep over the listener.
It’s not a sad record, it just pulls at the old heart strings. I can’t recommend this album highly enough as everyone should experience its beauty.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
