After three previous albums, Manchester’s Amplifer have finally found their stride and range. Taking cues from Porcupine Tree and Hawkwind, they have fashioned a series of soundscapes that draw in melody, improvisation and power.
Listen to the way The Wheel gradually builds from introspection to full on diatribe and you’ll know you’re in the presence of a band who appreciate and understand the art of creating timeless music. Each track on Echo Street is a symphony in its own right, with so much happening that it’s impossible to take it all on with one cursory play – and every time you go back to the well, you’ll discover something fresh and vast.
There are the delicate harmonies on the title track, almost reminiscent of Pink Floyd. There are the chiming, ominous rhythms on Extra Vehicular. There’s the graceful, acoustic symmetry of Between Today And Yesterday. Echo Street is a superb work that will propel Amplifier right into the spotlight as among the brightest and most inventive of all current British bands.
