The Agency...
Newcastle Upon Tyne
With literary and media influences as diverse as the musical soundscape there is something for all that dare to listen to ‘The Agency…’.offering poetic glimmers of hope in a dark, powerful electric landscape.
The Agency… ‘For the Brave and Troubled’
What other people say about our debut album...
The Crack Magazine describing the record as:
…rather fabulous. The Agency… are a Newcastle based band, trading, nominally in folk/rock, but such a label is a tad reductive in this case. They have the kind of listen-to-me intensity that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds manage to conjure up…and the instrumentation is exemplary throughout. Incredibly rich, and with plenty of sweet melodies to boot, this is like setting down with your favourite bar of quality dark chocolate.
Whilst AmericanUK awarded a rating of 7/10 and included the track "She May Meet aTall Dark Stranger" on their March CD:
…it is a very enjoyable record if you put a little time in. There’s craft here, articulate and often humorous lyrics, great playing and superb execution and, in chief songwriter Steven K Driver, a chameleon like vocalist. The songs themselves are essentially folk songs, but filtered through post-rock, country and psychedelia and with “Carnivale” even a possible Grandaddy influence…
‘For the Brave and Troubled’ is the first album from ‘the Agency…’. The band includes members of ‘My Exit Music’ and features a number of guest contributions, including a surprising collaboration with dance music producer Aaron ‘Fonzerelli’ McClelland. It is an album that marries a powerful range of musical influences with folk storytelling to create an ambitious and musically dramatic piece. Compelling, cleverly twisted llyrics are delivered over rich heavily layered guitar based backdrops. ‘The Assassin, The Bureaucrat or The Stranger’ opens the album with a clear show of intent, featuring a happy sing-a-long chorus placed into the mouth of a killer and supported by the Tonfabriek Choir. Elsewhere, songs such as ‘The Muse’ and ‘The Supplicants Lullaby’ offer glimmers of hope in what is generally a dark, gothicana landscape. ‘Wolfman’ ends the album with a ballad-style lament that comes apart in post-rock fashion. Influences ranging from the Band to the Wizard of Oz, Leonard Cohen, Mogwai and Sigur Ros make this an intriguing and spell-binding debut.
‘The Agency…’ are the most recent collective to record for the Solarbear Records label. It is intended that the line-up of the project should have some flexibility. Multi-instrumentalists Andy Ludbrook, Scott Wall and Steve Beyer and drummer Jason Blaney are members of ‘My Exit Music’ and appear on the tracks, as does the versatile Garry Cosgrove and singer/songwriter Steven K Driver. Elsewhere guest contributions add vital and thought-provoking components to the ambitious soundscape. Dance Music Producer Aaron ‘Fonzerelli’ McClelland contributes several samples and has remixed the track ‘Wolfman’ for a wider audience.
Influences:
The fiery hum of the universe's creation, the philosophies of Jaques Derrida and Jean Paul Sartre, Gaz and Cousin Dan, my muse, Bar Oz, you, her, that time we spent together...you remember right...that night in the small restaraunt in Tuscany...the sun blazed and the stars twinkled, as we drank heavily...when I caught your eye, you were so grateful and discretely popped it back in before anyone had the chance to notice...Jim was there...I'll never forget.
More names will be available as the rumour mills begin to throw out their gossip bread. However, as we speak Steven K is in the deepest darkest jungles of Borneo talking to Elvis about a backing vocal slot.
This is only the beginning. The scent of revolution is in the air. While you are waiting for that, have a wild, wicked and truly scintilating meantime, during which you inextricably find that you can do no wrong and opportunities and surprises flood your days.
The Agency...’s tracks
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