The Race - Ice Station

Critically hailed upon the release of their debut album If You Can back in 2004, The Race imploded under the usual band shenanigans and that was supposed to be that. However, not-to-be-deterred creative force Craig Klein has now taken it upon himself to trench down in his Chicago flat to singlehandedly plot their return. While writing the album Klein reportedly became obsessed with Siberia and the Goulags and from here a touching narrative begins to emerge of a journey from China to seek out a loved one in these barren lands. While not strictly a concept album in the traditional 70s rock sense, there is still an overriding feeling that the premise of the record is taking over. Swirling guitars ebb and flow like an arctic wind over a frozen plain while the solitary de-humanised precision of a drum machine speaks of stark isolation. As a concept this works well but there is a sense of repetition throughout that lets this down. While on their own there are some gems here - Crack of the Lake and Odessa being standouts - put together as a whole there just isn't enough variation to give this a solid recommendation. [Garry Thomson]