Five-piece NSC (formerly No Second Chance) have been building up to this, their second CD release for the best part of two years. The follow-up to Wasp In a Jam Jar builds on its predecessor's alternative-rock foundation, with a larger recording budget allowing for live drums and a fuller sound.
Once described as "Nirvana meets Dannii Minogue," NSC's sound doesn't really touch on either of those extremes, but it's easy to see where the comparison came from. The guitars of Ashley Taylor and Paul Tricker are distorted, but prefer their hook-filled leads to down-tuned riffs. Miriam Pitts's lead vocals are comfortably placed, a little below the middle of the female range, and she has a range of distinctive inflections. This all sits on top of the solid bedrock provided by bassist Rachel Taylor and drummer Roger Pitts, both of whom turn in strong performances, even if we could occasionally do with a little less cymbal from the drums.
NSC are an evangelistic band. That emphasis comes through clearly in the lyrics, which talk of the commitment of the band to their God and question the values of the society around them. The lyrics are written and sung with conviction, and generally work with the music well, but this is one area where the band could do with tightening up their material while also experimenting a little more widely. There is a little too much repetition, and while direct and straightforward, the lyrics could do with a little more poetry.
The production is fairly even, and the arrangements are strong, but the album doesn't have the punch of some of its bigger budget contemporaries. The alternative rock market is crowded these days and to really stand out an album needs to be extremely tight or dip into a pool of innovation that remains untapped here. Nevertheless, NSC have grown since their last release and this will be popular with their fans.
