15 Nov 2024
Urbantramper - Urban Tramper - 'Rise & Ride Toward' album review
05 Dec 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
Ok, I’ll admit, before I listened to this album, I had never really heard of Urban Tramper. Their name rang vague bells in the back of my mind, perhaps I’d heard snippets on the radio or seen a poster in the street somewhere, but if you’d played me one of their older songs I probably wouldn’t have recognised it. But if their new album, 'Rise & Ride Toward', is anything to go by, that is entirely my loss.
This album is a folk-pop gem, blending the two genres to excellent effect. It shifts at times from upbeat to morose and back again within the space of two or three songs, but at no point is originality ever in short supply.
The fifth track on the album, 'My Grand Plan', was probably my favourite, but I also really enjoyed the track 10, 'The Superhero’s Partner'. The former is one of the quicker, happier tracks on the album, while the latter is considerably slower and more downbeat, but both evolve into something quite remarkable. To me it highlighted the contrast the album provides, and really showcased the talent of the band.
I was often reminded of other Kiwi folk collectives like Fly My Pretties or The Woolshed Sessions, but that is not to say that Urban Tramper seem like copy cats. Rather, the feel of the album was as though I had been invited in from the cold to share secrets, swap stories, or simply marvel at a delicate piece of art, not wanting to speak too loudly for fear of spoiling the moment.
All the while the album retains a sense of refreshing simplicity. It is not particularly dense, there are no fancy effects, nor is there any sense of having to peel off the layers in order to access the true core of each song. The result is an album which feels remarkably honest. Urban Tramper don’t seem to be trying to impress anyone, and it is working wonders for them.
Ok, I’ll admit, before I listened to this album, I had never really heard of Urban Tramper. Their name rang vague bells in the back of my mind, perhaps I’d heard snippets on the radio or seen a poster in the street somewhere, but if you’d played me one of their older songs I probably wouldn’t have recognised it. But if their new album, 'Rise & Ride Toward', is anything to go by, that is entirely my loss.This album is a folk-pop gem, blending the two genres to excellent effect. It shifts at times from upbeat to morose and back again within the space of two or three songs, but at no point is originality ever in short supply.
The fifth track on the album, 'My Grand Plan', was probably my favourite, but I also really enjoyed the track 10, 'The Superhero’s Partner'. The former is one of the quicker, happier tracks on the album, while the latter is considerably slower and more downbeat, but both evolve into something quite remarkable. To me it highlighted the contrast the album provides, and really showcased the talent of the band.
I was often reminded of other Kiwi folk collectives like Fly My Pretties or The Woolshed Sessions, but that is not to say that Urban Tramper seem like copy cats. Rather, the feel of the album was as though I had been invited in from the cold to share secrets, swap stories, or simply marvel at a delicate piece of art, not wanting to speak too loudly for fear of spoiling the moment.
All the while the album retains a sense of refreshing simplicity. It is not particularly dense, there are no fancy effects, nor is there any sense of having to peel off the layers in order to access the true core of each song. The result is an album which feels remarkably honest. Urban Tramper don’t seem to be trying to impress anyone, and it is working wonders for them.
About Urbantramper
Manifesto-in-progress: to try and capture emotions/experiences, that are felt or perceived, and present them in a digestible, aesthetically pleasing format. To stimulate feeling in our listeners; be it that of concurrence with the emotion we attempt to convey, or of reaching a place hitherto not explored. To play, write, perform and record with ardour and respect for our subject, ourselves, our listeners and the artform itself; We aknowledge our responsibility to all...
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Urbantramper
Releases
Other Reviews By lukefitzmaurice
Diesel Phoenix - 'Here's Something We Prepared Earlier' album review
05 Dec 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
'Here’s Something We Prepared Earlier' is the new album from Auckland five-piece Diesel Phoenix, a hard hitting record which throws together rock, punk, pop, and even a little bit of metal. The album opens with the eerie instrumental track 'Willard’s Run', a song which provides a haunting introduction to the rest of the album.
Read More...
Eru Dangerspiel - Great News For The Modern Man album review
21 Aug 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
With any experiment, there are always going to be some things that work out great, and others that don’t really go down so well. Therefore, with any experimental album, the same is bound to happen.
Read More...
Cairo Knife Fight - Iron album review
01 Aug 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
When I first listened to this album I immediately got the impression of movement. The first track definitely felt like it was driving towards… well… something, I wasn’t quite sure what at that stage.
Read More...
Good Laika - Followed by a Trail of Sparks review
30 Jul 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
The press release that came with this album read, “When listening to Good Laika’s sophomore album Followed by a Trail of Sparks, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across some lost soul’s travel diary.” It was an interesting introduction to an album, so I sat with eager anticipation as I played it through for the first time.
Read More...
Fat Freddy's Drop - Dr Boondigga and the Big BW
11 Jun 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
I fell in love with this album about five and a half minutes into track six. Up until that point I was reasonably impressed with the album, but I felt like Fat Freddy’s Drop hadn’t quite captured the vibe that made their first album so immensely successful.
Read More...
The Veils - Sun Gangs Reviews
07 May 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
A word of warning – on the whole, Sun Gangs seems pretty slow. And to be fair, it’s true that the album contains one or two tracks that are indisputably subdued, title track Sun Gangs being one that immediately springs to mind.
Read More...
Sola Rosa - Get It Together review
11 Apr 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
There is something irresistibly funky about this album, and it hits you within seconds of pressing play. The opening track, The Ace of Space, has a kind of Ocean’s Eleven quality to it, and as I listened to the rest of the album I never really shook the feeling of being engrossed within a Las Vegas casino heist.
Read More...
The Mint Chicks - Screens Review
31 Mar 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
First things first, DO NOT judge this album the first time you listen to it. That’s what I was tempted to do, because in all honesty, after listening to Screens once through I was a little disappointed.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- APT.
ROSÉ And Bruno Mars - DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
Custom Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
