Comfort in Sound [CD]

"Just The Way I'm Feeling" recalls the strings and scope of 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' but is more heartfelt and honest. As an opener it's a strong indication of the bands intent, with Grant's voice peering over layers of typical Feeder melody. "Love in love out / find the feeling.". Current single "Come Back Around"; (come on you know it), it's the one that sounds a bit like the Foo Fighters only better, is an emotional burst back to form. Title track "Comfort in Sound" is a little like 'Echo Park's' stand out 'Piece by Piece' crossed with 'High', "We fall right in / and suffer our sins". Another indication of the power one of the most under rated bands in the U.K can convey.

"Forget About Tommorrow" is classic Feeder, another gorgeous tune with those mammoth sized strings that builds on waves of hooks and melody. "Child in You" is an ode to lost times, while "Godzilla" changes direction toward, b-side 'Divebomb' and 'Bug'. A strange break in preceding's.

"Love Pollution" is in all honesty one of, if not the, best tracks Nicholas has penned, with its descending guitar motif, a tune to die for and the multi-layered effects recalling an "Achtung Baby" U2. Matched only by unbelievable closer 'Moonshine'. Grant Nicholas was voted in Kerrang 1997, as the 14th most important musician in the U.K after this that list may need revising.

Instead of mixing an matching different styles and paces, Feeder seem to have found a consistency missing since 'Polythene' and matured into a sound of an epic scale. Those expecting more hi- octane belters in the vein of, 'Insomnia' or 'Evergreen' will be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed. Imagine an album crammed full of the anthemic tunes that have graced the previous three records and multiply it by 10 and you'll get the gist. Whereas 'Echo Park' was a decidedly patchy affair, C.I.S is a collection of songs guaranteed to have you humming along and investing in a new air guitar.

One of the most important releases of the year.

Feeder used to put 2 and 2 together and get 4, now they have put 3 and 1 together and got the same result - a great album by the best British band around. The slight change in sound comes from more electronic and background sounds, which gives a new dimension to songs.

A more restrained affair than previous albums, Comfort In Sound sees more of Feeder's slower songs similar to classic Feeder tracks such as Yesterday Went Too Soon and Satellite News. These types of songs really show Grant's song writing abilities and musical talent. However there are moments of Feeder's powerful songs such as Seven Days In The Sun and Insomnia.

Picking out a best track is an impossible task. Opener 'Just The Way I Feel' sets the feel for the whole album and shows the feeling of loss surrounding Jon Lee's death (many tracks are related to loss or wanting somebody back). Tracks such as Forget About Tomorrow, with it's opening sounding similar to U2's Beautiful Day, and Love Pollution also stand out. The best two tracks have to be the title track, Comfort In Sound, and closing track, Moonshine. Both of which should become classic songs and at least one will appear as a single in the near future.

Brilliant as Comfort In Sound may be, it has its faults. Godzilla sounds like a song put together quickly, and not like the carefully constructed sound of most Feeder songs. Little things also let the album down slightly, putting the beautiful Quick Fade after Godzilla doesn't fit somehow, and leaves the song seeming out of place and taking something away from the song.

Is this Feeder's best album? Almost. It is almost a perfect album, but in places doesn't rise to the heights of Yesterday Went Too Soon. However, the band will probably be most remembered for Comfort In Sound because of the death of Jon Lee. It's Feeder's equivalent of the Manic's Everything Must Go.

Tracks such as the opener 'Just the Way I'm Feeling', 'Forget About Tomorrow' and 'Summer's Gone' reveal how Nicholas is revelling in his new found love-affair with melody - this material really is a world apart from previous albums. Feeder do not forget their roots though, and rather than rapping their riffing in the kind of thrashing noise associated with American rockers Sum 41 and Blink 182, the band have produced intelligent riffs and packaged them into slick, carefully crafted songs such as 'Come Back Around' and 'Helium'. Such bands as Hundred Reasons could learn much from these tracks.

Admittedly, the material becomes weaker towards the end of the album, 'Quick Fade' and 'Find the Colour' are reasonable but ultimately forgettable. However, the final song of the album, 'Moonshine', is arguably the best. Merging touching melody with driving riffs and Nicholas' best vocal performance, this track is outstanding. Nicholas cries 'its only you, only for you', and if it were not delivered with such intimacy it wouldn't work. Like the rest of the album, however, it works beautifully.