Northern Uproar [Clear Vinyl]

Personnel: Leon Meya (vocals, bass guitar, background vocals); Paul Kelly (guitar); Keith Chadwick (piano, drums); Dave Eringa (piano); James Dean Bradfield (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Dave Eringa.
Recording information: Monnow Valley.
Photographers: Karin Albinsson; Brian Sweeney; James Fry.
On their self-titled debut album, the teenage band Northern Uproar comes on like a minature Clash, thanks to the production of Manic Street Preacher James Dean Bradfield. It's clear that Northern Uproar learned their Clash riffs secondhand through the Manics and lifted the rest of their sound -- as well as their apolitical, laddish attitude -- from Oasis. At their best, the band can tear through appealingly raucous and melodic rock & roll with brutal, youthful energy. At their worst, the group wants to prove that they're more than a rock & roll band, so they head down slow, string-laden detours. At this point in their career, Northern Uproar doesn't have the depth to pull off ballads, but that's fine, given their age. Northern Uproar certainly isn't a consistent album but it is fun, if occasionally mindless, rock & roll. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine