The Features SOME KIND OF SALVATION Released on 22 February.

“We’ve been long-time supporters of The Features, they’re one of the best undiscovered bands in the world and we’re excited to be releasing SOME KIND OF SALVATION.” said Jared Followill of Kings Of Leon.

This album is produced by Grammy Award-winning Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Kings Of Leon, Tom Waits, Sea Wolf) and Brian Carter at his Paradox Production facility in Tennessee.The band is also from Tennessee and features Matthew Pelham (lead vocal and guitar), Roger Dabbs (bass), Mark Bond (keyboards) and Rollum Haas (drums).

SOME KIND OF SALVATION weaves a sound that can be described as a mix of scrappy white-boy soul with influences garnered from popular music of the last 50 years. However, the end result is distinctive and totally accessible. Brief opener ‘Whatever Gets You By’ is an excellent example with its huge melody, ‘Those Were The Days’(Mary Hopkins 1968) style vocal harmonies, carefree and retro vibe. ‘The Drawing Board’ follows seamlessly in a very similar style but a tad more upbeat before a more reflective and rocky ‘Foundation’s Cracked’ arrives with its huge, rushed choruses and Beatles style guitar riffs. So good is this opening salvo that I’m seriously considering playing all three back-to-back on next Sunday’s radio show…

‘GMF (Genetically Modified Fable)’ is a mix of several styles including some familair (but great) sounding synth sounds, bold brass and welcome trad rock drumming and guitar work. Superb! And so it goes on to become my favourite indie rock record so far in 2010, and a strong contender for our best-of-year list. Like it? I bloody love it!

4/5