For his third album as Blue States, Sussex-born Andy Dragazis is joined full-time by singer/guitarist Chris Carr and drummer Jon Chandler, and The Soundings eschews the soft-focus soundscapes of its predecessors in favour of gliding, minor chord-driven songs which fall somewhere between Talk Talk and the Bunnymen. Opener “Across The Wire”sets the tone with its refrain of “Under the grey skies”, while the autumnal guitar of “For A Lifetime”and “The Last Blast”riff on Strange Times-era Chameleons. Closer “Sad Song”is a starburst of horns, a widescreen, symphonic climax that leaves you in little doubt they’re on their way to glory.
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