The Stills - Being Here

Like any attempt at straightforward, anthemic songwriting, Being Here is a long way from being ‘cool’ or ‘edgy’. This is The Stills at their most conservative, ploughing the same sonic furrow as Coldplay or Snow Patrol. But while their behemoth contemporaries stir up the same old minor chords and reverb-heavy riffs to predictable effect, the wide-eyed passion evident here stirs up genuine emotion instead. Perhaps only record sales and radio ubiquity separate them from an MOR eternity of soundtracking X-Factor montages, but the lump in the throat that forms when the chorus erupts suggests they may acquire such mainstream success sooner rather than later. [Chris Buckle]