Thirteen Senses - The Invitation
By: Patrick Vu | Category: Album Archive | 04/11/05 | 12:02 AM
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Grade: C | Genre:
Rock
Summary: Though it's decent album and one that many critics will probably argue about, there just isn't enough creativity to fill all your "Thirteen Senses." |
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 For a while now, British exports like Coldplay, Doves, and Travis have made the UK music scene a wealthy source of soulful tunes that promote personal introspection. These bands have successfully crafted songs that are able to sum up our deepest emotions by playing to our most sensitive feelings.
Being compared to the likes of Coldplay and Travis is nothing to sneeze at and a great way to gain some band recognition. Thirteen Senses, one of the newer British exports, arrives just in time to take a piece of the pie before it runs out...or has it?
Is it me or does it seem like room is beginning to run out on these bands? Thirteen Senses may have to try a bit harder if they want to live up to the standards that the previously mentioned bands have set.
As I listen to their debut The Invitation, there really aren't any songs that are strong enough to take up space in my memory. It starts off on the right foot with the piano intro to "Into the Fire," which has you feeling like something great is about to happen. The slow beginning gradually builds momentum and has you anticipating a breakout band that you'll rave about.
Unfortunately, the buildup is all you get and the record plays like a limp version of Travis and Keane. "Do no wrong" doesn't do much for the album. We should've gotten the hint from lyrics like "Close the door before it's late...Turn it down for our own sake."
One positive note of inventiveness is on the track "Saving," as it cuts itself off after about 4 minutes where you hear a faint whisper of frontman Will South's voice singing "save me..." You almost sense that he knows Invitation isn't quite strong enough, which then picks up with a beautiful piano solo that is too little too late.
Though it's a decent album and one that many critics will probably argue about, there just isn't enough creativity to fill all your "Thirteen Senses." The tracks run into each other making it hard to distinguish one from the next. Maybe it's a question of timing where too many similar bands before them have come through and fulfilled whatever niche Thirteen Senses was meant to accomplish. "The Invitation" isn't as inviting as it could be, and you've forgotten about the album before it's even finished. (Yawn)
So continue listening to your copies of Coldplay and Travis albums because Thirteen Senses doesn't do anything that they haven't already done.
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