Search - Whale Blue Eye :: Dizzy With Joy

Whale Blue Eye's debut album, "Dizzy With Joy," is a compulsively crafted collection of alternative pop-rock. The album places a clear emphasis on melodies, musicianship, and lyrics that avoid the usual redundancies and cliches. The record kicks off, appropriately enough, with "Standing in the Station," a high-energy rocker that finds singer and guitarist, Gavin Stewart, delivering a poignant melody and lyrics that speak of "departure" in its various forms. The aggressive acoustic guitars of the intro foreshadow Whale Blue Eye's approach throughout the album, which typically offers a compelling mix of acoustic and electric guitar work. Similarly driving tunes include "Pretty Picture" and the title track, "Dizzy With Joy." Throughout, the intuitive interplay between drummer, Tony A., and bassist, Brian Stewart, is evident. Whale Blue Eye's debut release also offers mellower moments; both "Freedom Chain" and "Under My Skin" call to mind the more introspective work of John Lennon and U2, while "Sort of Blue" is remiscent of the best work of the Psychedelic Furs or The Cure. It should also be noted that Whale Blue Eye, like such British bands as the Beatles and the Smiths, has been known to comingle the serious and the comic. Both "Famous For a Day" and "Psychic Faire" exhibit a sly sense of humor rarely found in bands on this side of the Atlantic. Fans of intelligent songwriting and skilled musicianship will not be disappointed.