A band in their absolute pomp and at the peak of their powers.
Of course, this is not a standard live album; this is a live re-imagining of Landmarq's last, very well received, studio album 'Entertaining Angels'. And why not, they are a well regarded band and it is a smashing album.
Landmarq were given a lemon and made lemonade. When Damian Wilson left, they finally decided on a completely new vocal sound (after a year with Ian Gould) with Tracy Hitchings. And she is the shining light here; soulful, Folky and sometimes Bjorkian sounds make this full music sound even bigger, her dramatic side is a lovely surprise too.
Not that the band are slouches; this stunning live document from a Netherlands concert is sometimes distorted in the sound but not in the playing. The crowd are genteel but keen, the atmosphere sounds poised and the music is great.
Of the tracks you get, the killer items are the beautiful 'Personal Universe', which opens out to reveal love and light, and 'Thunderstruck', with its busy, bubbly brouhaha and stunning organ solo alongside Uwe D'Rose's fluid guitar work; both are big and clever. The crowd also love the pushy, thickset attack, the duelling lines and the 1980's twinkling of 'Calm Before The Storm'.
In fact, they should have finished on this big build as the closing album title track is a little quiet in comparison. That quibble aside though, 'Roadskill' is just what it says, a band in their absolute pomp and at the peak of their powers – that they use it judiciously to add soul, heartstring tugging and gargantuan groove, is incredibly impressive. Heaven only knows where they'll go next...
Steve Swift
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