but for the sun Big Wreck

• 1Voices04:57
• 2Locomotive05:00
• 3In My Head04:10
• 4So Clear04:11
• 5Follow Me04:09
• 6Too Far Gone05:16
• 7Give Us a Smile06:33
• 8Alibi05:00
• 9Help Is on the Way07:07
• 10Found My Place04:58
• 11One More Chance05:14
• 12The Fly and the Bowl04:37
• Total Runtime01:01:12

Info for but for the sun

Canadian multi-platinum-selling rockers Big Wreck return with Grace Street, an album that continues to build on the creative momentum of their two previous JUNO Award-nominated releases, Ghosts and Albatross. Featuring guitar virtuoso and lead-singer Ian Thornley, and co-produced by Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers), the sonic diversity on Grace Street is indeed stunning. Heavy grooving tracks such as lead-off single 'One Good Piece of Me' and 'Digging In' rub shoulders with the atmospheric 'A Speedy Recovery' and the epic seven-minute instrumental 'Skybunk March.' Other tracks feature added touches, such as Miles Davis-style muted trumpet, wine glasses, a sample of a child's heartbeat and a Leslie speaker guitar solo recorded on a mountainside adjacent to Richardson's B.C. studio. At the core of Grace Street are live, off-the-floor performances by founding front man Ian Thornley on guitar and keyboards, accompanied by drummer Chuck Keeping and bassist Dave McMillan.

Ian Thornley formed Big Wreck in 1994 while studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

After several years of gigging in the Boston area, the band signed to Atlantic Records and released their now classic debut album ‘In Loving Memory Of…’ Featuring the hit singles ‘The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted)’, ‘That Song’, and ‘Blown Wide Open’, the album showcased the band’s hard alternative rock sound, while also hinting at the progressive rock elements that would appear in the band’s work years later. These progressive elements set the band apart from their peers, as even the radio friendly hits had uncharacteristically sophisticated musicianship in addition to catchy pop hooks. Despite the band’s success, Big Wreck disbanded in 2002, with Ian forming the band Thornley – releasing two albums, 2004’s ‘Come Again’, and 2009’s ‘Tiny Pictures’ – as well as releasing solo material – 2015’s ‘Secrets’. Following the success of a 2010 tour dubbed ‘An Evening with Thornley and Big Wreck’, Ian Thornley revived the Big Wreck name, and the band have been firing on all cylinders since.

After the eleven year gap between 2001’s ‘The Pleasure and the Greed’ and 2012’s comeback album ‘Albatross’, Big Wreck have been quite prolific. Releasing the nearly 70 minute album ‘Ghosts’ in 2014, an Ian Fletcher Thornley solo album ‘Secrets’ in 2015, and now the new release ‘Grace Street’, Big Wreck have been satisfying their incredibly loyal fan base. The band’s front man and main creative force, Ian Thornley, has described ‘Grace Street’ as the band’s most diverse album to date, featuring a wide variety of sounds and musical styles. While it still features Big Wreck’s signature Alternative/Classic Rock sound, with thick, heavy guitars and drums, it also incorporates many experimental recording techniques such as sampling his daughter’s heartbeat for a kick drum on the track ‘The Receiving End’, and tuned wine glasses (to a G major scale if you were curious) as an ambient soundscape on ‘Motionless’. The band stretches out on the seven minute instrumental ‘Skybunk Marche’, which allows them to showcase some of their progressive rock/jazz fusion influence. Riff heavy single ‘Digging In’ sounds as if it could have been a forgotten outtake from Led Zeppelin’s 1975 classic ‘Physical Graffiti’. Elsewhere, first single ‘One Good Piece Of Me’ is much more effective when heard in the context of the album, as opposed to being isolated as a commercial mainstream radio hit. The album really hits its stride at the halfway point, particularly with the lovely ballad ‘Useless’, which acts as a great showcase piece for Ian Thornley’s terrific vocals. Following ‘Useless’ is the seven and a half minute ‘A Speedy Recovery’, which is another highlight. The interplay between the drums and funky bass is incredible, which lead to a lengthy, smooth, yet understated guitar solo which allows Ian to show off some of his jazz fusion and progressive influences.

Big Wreck are at a particularly creative, prolific stage in their career. Starting with ‘Albatross’, ‘Ghosts’, and now ‘Grace Street’ the band seem to have no restrictions on their creativity, with each album being more adventurous and exciting than the last. Here’s hoping that trend doesn’t end any time soon.

Ian Thornley, vocals, guitar
Brian Doherty, guitars
Chuck Keeping, drums
Dave McMillan, bass

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