Some Kind Of Illness – The Debut Self-Titled – Manchester Acoustics.

Some Kind Of Illness – Bolton/Manchester, England, United Kingdom.

(Editor’s Note – Although at core a two piece, the band often make use of a long line of talented musicians, both live and in the studio. The self-titled album is an example of such. Since then, the band has reverted back to the two-piece line-up of the Hinks brothers, but not without excellent collaborations from time to time. – MS)

Some Kind Of Illness, the self-titled album from the Bolton/Manchester based Indie act of the same name, was released in 2015. On a personal note, the album is possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve listened to in a long while and is perhaps the soundtrack to pondering life itself.

The acoustic theme of the album is so delicately combined with soft singing and a mix of added effects, it’s as if you’re floating on a cloud or running through a meadow in the middle of summer. It’s hauntingly brilliant, and a little bit lovely.

Think Newton Faulkner on a sad day, Bob Dylan being a bit happy, The Cure on Heroin instead of Cocaine, this album is chilled out, calm, and mellow. Incredibly complex, but minimalist at the same time in it’s abstract beauty, every song continuously echoes throughout, making you think rather than dance and I love that.

Track one, ‘The Test of Time’ invites you into the album, opening with soft delicate vibes via pretty Synth-work, it’s alluring, and sounds like the sea. Next, the fluttering guitar sneaks in and the vocals begin to echo, suiting the lusciously placed lyrics.

Track two, the short and sombre ‘Angel Breakdown’, is thoroughly thought provoking, with strange a but subdued vocal-sample, as well as soft and delicate acoustics, you can literally get lost in this track. The lack of vocals fits so perfectly with the Synths in the background, that if you were walking and listening to this at the same time, you’d probably forget where you were going.

‘Stars’ follows and echoes beautifully and could easily be a Bob Dylan song. ‘Forget your days in a better life‘ is almost a subliminal message – ‘you lost your way and you’re seeing stars‘ – this is exactly what’s happening while this is playing. It would fit perfectly into a cliche romance film. It’s sad, but not depressing, a truly heartfelt track, with strong vocals unseen so far, and even though the songs sound the same, they are very different at the same time.

Track Four, ‘Maple Leaf’, really reminds me of ‘Little Trouble Girl’ by Sonic Youth. The twangs of the guitar send all kinds of feelings through you. The beat is heavier than before and the almost “creepy child” voice is created so perfectly and brings sentiments we can all relate to. This is so different to everything else and exactly what modern music is lacking – pure creativity & individuality.

Track five, ‘The Light’, sounds like heartache. It’s catchy tune and light vocals complement each other well, with the pace also picking up, creating a needed balance half way through. ‘And Live’, showcases the same calm Synth-work & acoustics we’ve seen so far, but it’s weird vocal ramblings make it interesting and somewhat mind boggling.

Track seven, ‘You Have To Laugh’, takes on the same kind of melody as the other songs, it’s harmonic, almost sitar like, perfect if you need to forget life and hide away for a little while.

My personal favourite, ‘My Shadow In Maze’, is haunting, reminding me of ‘It’s Not Dark Yet’ by Bob Dylan. ‘I lost my shadow in a maze’ is probably a feeling we can all relate to, falling in love and losing love at the same time. This track really shows the quality of the lyrics, perfectly written and beautifully sung. ‘And I finally made it out’, a line which brings comfort, telling you there is always light at the end of the tunnel, or a way out of the maze, if you will.

The penultimate number, ‘Rush To Wait’, is calm, relaxed, and almost bluesy, while the last track, ‘Fool Man Runaway’, is full of echoes that send all kinds of chills because this is emotion, this is thought.

These are lovely songs with no bullshit quite frankly, just harmony. A perfect end to a wonderful album. This is flawless beauty, creativity in it’s most simple form. To be honest, the album art itself sums it up.

Find the band via the links below:

• Facebook and Twitter for updates.
• To get hold of the album digitally or stream, head to bandcamp.
• SoundCloud also provides an avenue to stream the band’s material.
• For videos, head to their Youtube Channel.
• Don’t forget, the band have released a further two EPs since their debut, both of which can also be found on bandcamp.

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