After a long absence, Split Level is back with a new album and a new sound. While the band has long been appreciated in Europe, only a few in the USA have discovered their music. But this album, with an accompanying US tour, a video, and production work from Rick Elias has been hotly anticipated.
Having been through a number of stylistic changes, the band's latest sound seems the most organic and is closest to the live sound we've been hearing for the past couple of years. This sound also suggests a new maturity, a melodic alternative rock album with touches of piano, harmonica, and theremin, and the occasional tip of the hat towards the mod revival and retro sounds recently popular in the British mainstream. Despite the changes, Split Level still retains their strong harmonies and remains a tight three-piece.
Lyrically this album also shows growth. More personal than the last couple of releases, the themes dealt with are handled amidst poetic, yet simple, lyrics which show that the band's Adrian Thompson is no mean songwriter. Standout tracks are numerous but "Healed" and "Circles" are definitely two of the better tracks. The former deals both with personal healing and how, despite the fact that new age healers can sometimes heal the outside, only God can heal the whole person. If that sounds glib, be assured that the song is not.
It's therapeutic To that I would agree But it's not the healer Of the things you cannot see
It is difficult to find fault with this album at all; it's not a stunning album as such, but more a subtle work with few flaws. If you're looking for alternative rock with more depth than the norm, and perhaps some melody, this album is definitely worth searching out-as are the band's live shows.
Other coverage for this album
7ball #12Reviewed by Bruce A. BrownSplit Level is a trio which hails from Ireland. Although the band's history dates back nearly a decade, and it has had two previous best-selling releases in Europe, glo.bal is Split Level's international debut. As it's an energetic amalgamation of the many influences which the group has soaked up over the years, "modern rock" would seem much too narrow a description of Split Level's sound. The…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by James StewartSplit Level seems to have been around forever and it has been a while since we had their last full length project, Boomerang. Having tried various styles from ska to punk in the eighties and celtic rock in the early nineties, Split Level has moved to a rawer alternative rock sound while retaining the distinctive melodies and harmonies to be found elsewhere. This album is perhaps closer to the…Similar sounding releases
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