Edinburgh‘s acoustic four piece Ten Storeys High’s debut album glides on a cool dusk breeze from start to finish through eleven well balanced and immaculately produced tracks. Through-the-night driving music or sunday afternoon with the papers, this collection will not distract you into fist-pumping sing-along air guitar, but being a gentle toe tapper is no disgrace as I am sure they are aiming at the more thoughtful ear anyway.
With Ten Storeys High you are more likely to start listening to the storytelling craft in the lyrics than the pinched harmonics (there aren’t any anyway) which again is spot on for this bit-more-than-completely-acoustic genre. Hitting on the likes of Travis now and again, especially in “Fragile” and ‘Former Working Class Hero’ the guys obviously worked hard on the arrangements as they get everything they can out of the songs which presumably started out as one voice and one guitar. It’s good to hear a band thinking from the listener’s perspective for a change.
Callum Macguire’s vocals do soar in this relatively exposed environment and they never falter under the spartan acoustic set up around him. At times Ewan Beck’s compelling, bubbling bass threatens to break out (‘Disfunctional’) but alas is often also restricted in the mix or the musical environment, shame.
Ten Storeys High have found their place and appear completely comfortable in what they do and that is only where the album falters slightly as there are no real edgy spark or risky shortcuts taken, just a steady journey. Maybe the fall is too thrilling and not dangerous enough.
A good listen on CD or live, so definitely not guys to pass by.