The Feeling – I Thought It Was Over (Universal/Island)
February 11th, 2008
4.7/6.0
In which The Feeling become far, far more than mere pretenders to soft-rockdom and reveal themselves as potential pop superstars.
Upon hearing the band had gone “pop”, my instant initial reaction was “oh, bloody hell, this will never work,” I won’t deny it. However, it’s a track that bears repeated listening much more easily than their early material, thanks in part to its excellent production and Queen-aping, sustained trebly guitar chords. There’s a delightful urgency to this new sound, and I Thought It Was Over shows a dramatic improvement from their debut material.
I never imagined I’d be using the words “The Feeling” and “welcome comeback” in the same sentence, but, likewise, I’m sure most of us weren’t expecting the words “Scarlett Johansson” and “album of Tom Waits covers” to crop up in close proximity to one another. It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings, and last time I checked Dan Gillespie Sells was neither fat nor a lady. Superb stuff.
words: Kate Goodacre
The Feeling release their new album Join With Us on February 18th, 2008. A largely sold-out UK tour follows in late February and early to mid March.
Kate Goodacre is a freelance writer and photographer, and the founding editor of The Fugitive Motel. Her taste in music has been broadened greatly by her co-contributors over the years that the site and the Motel collective has been in business. Kate likes pink lady apples, recycling, open-wheeled motorsport, the smell of a well-kept park, the Today Programme and that strangely invigorating stillness you get in a city early on any weekend morning.