Memphis: Here Comes A City

Memphis
Here Comes A City
Arts & Crafts Records [2011]









Fire Note Review: Memphis create a nice flowing melancholy pop record on their third LP Here Comes A City.

Album Review:
Torquil Campbell and Chris Dumont have been making music together since the late 1990's. This pre-dates Campbell's success in Stars but Here Comes A City represents only the third long-player from the group. Their music has a very melancholy pop feel to it that also lets its songs float a bit by surrounding them with atmospheric instrumental pieces. The album is very honest and simple, as it plays well to the ear even though Memphis lyrically provide a dim picture on city life. Many of the tracks have a strolling swagger to them regardless of the subject matter as "Wait!" clearly points out in a catchy chorus "I don't love you anymore." Here Comes A City only suffers a bit during its song transitions and some of the earthy instrumentals mess with the more upbeat rhythm paced songs, which is where Memphis shines. For this style of music, Memphis does a nice job but it still is a record that will need to fight for remembrance, as too many of the tracks here leave your memory too quickly. With more focus on this project, I believe that Campbell and Dumont could easily find greater success, as Here Comes A City only just sounds like the beginning.

Key Tracks: "Apocalypse Pop Song", "I Am The Photographer", "Wait!"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Teenage Fanclub
Broken Social Scene
The Ocean Blue

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Arts & Crafts Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony