Richmond

"Self Titled"
(Celebrity Hotwax Records)

What's really cool about this release is the fact that it's their debut release...and it's just so damn good. It suprised the hell out of me, that's for sure. It was recorded in "high octance lo-fi," as it stated in the information that came with the release. It's got a raw feel, to be sure. But, don't take that to mean that it's got a bad quality because it doesn't. It does sound rather good and I think part of the charm comes from that raw vibe. The other part is the excellent musicianship. These guys can play and they can also put a really good song together...they did it twelve times on this release. It's a very diverse release that will appeal to a wide audience. People who focus on songwriting will like it, people who focus on style will like it, people who like to rock will like it. The opening line in their bio said that sometimes it's better to just let the music do the talking and when it comes to Richmond, I think that statement hit the nail right on the head. There's really no need to hype this album up because, as soon as you hear it, you're gonna know it's something that's well worth listening to and you're gonna know it's good. Whoever made the decision to sign this band deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. They just did the music scene a favor and for that, they deserve to be praised just as much as this release. http://www.celebrityhotwax.com

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