The Answer - Rise (special edition)

Albert Productions

The Answer’s storming debut gets a worthy re-release, with an exhaustive bonus disc of 15 B-sides, download-only singles, radio sessions, acoustic versions, live tracks and unreleased original material. Overkill? Certainly not, and the jewels here suggest that the best is yet to come. ‘Doctor’ and ‘Rock Bottom Blues’ do sound distant and see the band strolling where they normally strut, but the anthemic ‘Keep Believin’’ beggars belief that it was left off ‘Rise’ first time around. Stripped versions of ‘No Questions Asked’ and ‘Into The Gutter’ reinforce the band’s songwriting calibre, highlighting the work that went into the album proper. ‘Take It Easy’, singer Cormac Neeson’s first effort with acoustic guitar, stomps and claps; a ramshackle gem backed with Paul Mahon’s electric slide and worthy of campfires the world over.

’Sweet Emotion’ is the fulcrum on which The Answer’s appeal seesaws. Detractors call them copyists, fans consider them invigorators. The cover of the Aerosmith staple is a predictable acknowledgement of their musical forefathers but the band’s dexterity and Neeson’s rocket-launching screech elevate their efforts above accusations of plagiarism.

The criticisms of derivation levied at The Answer are simultaneously their appeal. While the template they’ve followed thus far might be dated, the energy they create and sentiments they express feel already classic, universal, and timeless, making this a classy example of first rate retro-tainment.

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DOWNLOAD: ‘Keep Believin’’, ‘Sweet Emotion’
FOR FANS OF: AC/DC, The Music

Issue #51 - I Told You This Would Be A Good Issue

Featuring Biffy Clyro, Of Montreal, Duke Special, Frightened Rabbit, Cold War Kids, Jay Reatard, Pat Mills, and more.