The Urbane - Neon

Another Lion has escaped from The Cage. John Mitchell took the opportunity to write and record an album. But, John Mitchell's first solo-album is not a solo-album. Together with Martin Raggett on bass and 'Scooby' on drums, John formed a group called 'The Urbane'.

The first album by The Urbane is called Neon. Although this CD is once again a product of great quality, it brings nothing you would expect. If you expect a melodic guitar-album, with brilliant guitar-solos in the vein of Elea, you are very wrong. 'It's not prog, but it still rocks!', John Mitchell writes in the sleeve notes and he is completely right. This has nothing to do with symphonic or progressive music. The 12 tracks on the album could be compared to some of Radiohead's stuff, or maybe even Garbage. To be honest, I think I wouldn't have noticed this album, if John Mitchell hadn't played on it.

The songs are short and guitar-oriented. Riffs and rhythm are the most important ingredients of the songs, not the classical on-going solos. I think from an 'alternative' point of view, this is a great album. Many of the songs have very nice melodies and some may even have hit-potential. Some songs sound really aggressive or depressed, others are more cheerful. John Mitchell appears to have a great voice, which really suits the raw sound of the album.

To the songs now. Quietly is a fast song with a very catchy chorus and a great bass-line. John's vocals sound as if he is using very old equipment. The track even starts and ends with the sound of an old LP.

Mary Jane also is a fast and happy tune. The guitars are very heavy but there's enough space for the other instruments as well. I love the bass-lines a lot. Party time!

After these fast songs, Aeroplanes starts slow, with just guitar and vocals. The chorus is nevertheless very bombastic again. John is singing at the top of his voice and he sounds very desperate. The aggressive chorus suits the 'when I go insane' lyrics in a great way.

Fading Out could easily be a single. After a heavy opening, there are some quieter parts and the second part is built around a catchy chorus.

After all the guitars Loop is a resting-point for the listener. Although the chorus is very bombastic, the verses are very fragile.

A drum-loop starts Immaculate, which has a sort-of 'U2-feeling', particularly because of the reverbs on guitars. This track sounds a bit different from all the heavier guitar stuff on the first part of the album. The vocals are very prominent. Maybe that's why this song is one of my favourite tracks. With its six minutes, it's also one of the longer tracks.

Wide Awake again has that typical contrast between a quiet intro and heavier choruses.

Staring At The Sun is another one of my favourites. A heavy drumbeat 'cracks' through your speakers. Guitars are played with many effects. While the high 'Staring at the Sun'-phrase is repeated over and over again, the song builds to a loud climax.

After this musical violence, the title track Neon is an oasis of rest. I like the vocals a lot, especially in the chorus where John sings nice backing vocals as well. When the track ends you notice the song has become much heavier than it started.

Radio-sounds accompany Static. The acoustic guitars and the female backing vocals add something extra to this track. Guitar sound and vocals give this track even a Beatles-like sound at some moments. Towards the end there's a fine guitar-solo.

If you don't pay attention, you could think Try is the second part of Static. It has the same drive and starts with a beautiful string arrangement. The chorus is nevertheless, as on all the other tracks, very heavy. There's a very funky middle part in this track that brings the necessary variation. Personally, I think too many tracks develop in exactly the same way (quiet intro - heavy chorus), which is a pity. The contrast between these parts is very nice but it happens too often in the same way.

Finally, The Tide, is a very pure song. Together with Immaculate, Static and Staring At The Sun, it's one of my favourite tracks. It's a very monumental song, with great vocals and a wonderful guitar-part in the middle. It's the only longer guitar-solo on the album and it's great! In fact, the solo is the chorus and returns several times. Counting seven-and-a-half minutes it's the longest track on the album and it's worth every second of it. John saved the best for last!

To conclude, if you have an open ear for good and heavy alternative music, this is a great album. If you're a typical 'prog-lover' (you know what I mean), it's not your cup of tea. Although I've heard some proggers who were really enthusiastic! Some tracks are really gems, and many others have great parts, especially the choruses. This album shows that John is not only a great guitar-player, but also a great songwriter.

By: Jan-Jaap de Haan