THE ANSWER – Sundowners

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Is there a better release date for a Northern Irish band than St. Patrick’s Day? THE ANSWER have chosen this date for the release of their seventh album “Sundowners”.

After releasing their debut ‘Rise’ in 2006 and the follow-up ‘Everydays Demons’ (2009), the Northern Irish from Newcastle, County Down were among the brightest hopes of the new generation of golden rock. In 2009 they opened the BLACK ICE TOUR by AC/DC across Europe. Until 2016 THE ANSWER released four more albums, which weren’t really well received, but weren’t bad.

Seven years later there is another sign of life from the band with “Sundowners”. Nothing has changed musically, but the step away from too catchy refrains is audible. But I don’t really know why the title track was also used as an opener. I like the more than six-minute song, but personally I find it a bit bulky as an introduction. “Blood Brother” and “California Rust” are two calibers that you’re happy to accept as an answer.

With “Cold Heart” and “Livin On The Line” the band would have landed two sure hits in the 90s and “No Salvation” creates a bluesy campfire atmosphere with calmer tones and the use of a harmonica. The new album gets a big bonus point with the closing track “Always Alright”. What starts out as a singer/songwriter song (reminds me a lot of Syd Matter’s “To All Of You”) develops increasingly as a strong blues ballad with gospel choirs to the highlight of “Sundowners”.

In conclusion, I can say that the style is more in the direction of old BLACK CROWES, THE BLACK KEYS and RIVAL SONS has changed. Hard and blues rock is on offer here, which prefers to tease rather than serve up too many straight-forward choruses. If I’m being honest, there isn’t a single chorus in the eleven tracks that is easy to smash along to. Still, a successful return for me, but certainly not the best album THE ANSWER have released to date, like the singers and founders Cormac Neeson claims.

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Tracklist „Sundowners“:
01. Sundowners
02. Blood Brother
03. California Rust
04. Want You To Love Me
05. Oh Cherry
06. No Salvation
07. Cold Heart
08. All Together
09. Livin’ On The Line
10. Get Back On It
11. Always Alright
Total playing time: 43:06

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Band-Links:

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