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Album Details

• Artist: Morning Runner
• Album: Wilderness Is Paradise Now
• Label: EMI
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dadair on 2006-03-09

Much has been expected from this bemused and bracing Berkshire outfit, whose journey has taken in a string of high profile support slots for the likes of Coldplay and Stephen Fretwell to culminate in this personal debut album. The thudding intro to opener 'It's Not Like Everyone's My Friend' creates a stoney path towards the bemused Fran Healy and splashes of Bono vocal touch of Mathew Greener. The rousing 'Gone Up In Flames' oozes anthemic quality and gives some urgency to matters. There is a lingeringly dusty feel to most tracks, mainly given off through Greener's vocals and the laboured painstaking mood of 'Oceans' and live favourite 'The Great Escape', will appeal to melodic indie connoisseurs the world over.
The personal nature of the album may preclude it from making the devastating impact upon the music world that many people had hoped for, but there is enough endearing honesty and crushing accompaniments to lift it above many modern offerings of this ilk. Previous single 'Be All You Want Me To Be' uses a floating piano outro to cushion the crushing guitars that displays Morning Runners ability to ebb and flow with the mood of their music. This quality is likely to be what keeps them afloat in the crowded sea of modern indie.

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