The Speed Of Sound
From Monday onwards, the band of the week on Tameside Radio's Local Music Spotlight feature is The Speed Of Sound. Described as original underground masters of 'Independent Power Jangle pop-rock', the band formed in Manchester and since their first release in 1989 have continuously produced music laced with optimism and lyrical bite, tapping the DIY ethos of punk and the restless lust for experimentation of psychedelia.
Reviews refer to The Speed Of Sound as 'unique' "and 'unmistakable', and this identifiable stamp of personality is a result of decades dwelling deep below the music industry radar which have allowed the evolution of their own distinct sound, improbably likened to bands such as The Stranglers and Jefferson Airplane. With dual male and female lead vocalists, it is as though Debbie Harry and Lou Reed were fronting The Who and Television at the same time, combining the power of punk with the floating harmonies of The Byrds.
Appropriately the natural beauty and order of the alphabet places The Speed Of Sound between Sonic Youth and Dusty Springfield in most cultured record collections. The band themselves describe their music as 'Future-Retro-Modernist' and are not concerned with genre constraints, constantly pushing all boundaries whenever encountering them. Ever evolving and ever forward looking, the band gravitated together from within the Manchester underground scene and have spent the better part of four decades playing live across the UK and in mainland Europe, with John Armstrong (vocals/guitars/songwriting) being the constant element among a shifting collective lineup that has now remained unchanged since 2018.
Anne Marie Crowley adds the other half of the vocal pairing and second guitar, Kevin Roache plays bass guitar, and John Broadhurst provides the backbeat on drums. This is augmented where appropriate by Henry Armstrong on keyboards, and newly expanded on their latest release with the addition of Bob Dinn on trumpet and flugelhorn. 'Ambitiously realised' is a phrase frequently applied to their fifth and stunning 2021 album 'Museum Of Tomorrow' (their first on Californian label Big Stir Records), as demonstrated by no new album scoring higher in the prestigious Record Collector reviews.
A shift in focus since the pandemic has seen The Speed Of Sound concentrating on studio work, and the wealth of new material making up their current releases were all purpose written for recording rather than primarily for live performance. Aided and abetted in their experimentation since 2015 by their ongoing artistic relationship with Vibratone Sound Studio at their purpose-built Miles Platting location, the additional range, depth and complexity of The Speed Of Sound’s new work stands testament to the pursuit of new sonic frontiers.
There is no laurel sitting, the ambitious thirst for sonic exploration continues, and 2024 marks the bands 35th anniversary, and is fulfilling its promise to be the band's most thrillingly active year yet. The tale is in the title of their latest release, 'A Cornucopia', which comprises three separate yet linked albums. The first, 'Minerva', set the stage as a standalone digital release this May, accompanied by the expanded physical edition on CD and limited-run Vinyl encompassing no fewer than two additional (and temporarily exclusive) full length albums.
As the bonus material sees digital release throughout the year, 'Victory' on September 20th and 'Bounty' in November, both longtime followers and those newly discovering the band will only be able to marvel as The Speed Of Sound accelerates. The Speed Of Sound and their music will be played on every daytime show on Tameside Radio from 6am on Monday 16th September. The Band also joined the team on The Dave Sweetmore Show on Monday 9th September, you can listen again via the OnDemand section of the website.
