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Rating: THE REVIEW
The Welsh trio Feeder released a new work in 2001 titled "Echo Park". Following "Yesterday Went Too Soon", their first album to enter directly into the UK top ten, the new album starts to partially deviate from the typical sound expressed by the Welshmen up to that point.
Gil Norton, a producer known for working with the Foo Fighters and, most notably, the Pixies (of whom Feeder are huge fans, often playing the classic "Where Is My Mind?" live), co-produces the album with the band.
The album is surprising right from its opening moments: "Standing On The Edge", the opener, is a bewildering track, based on ethereal electronic sounds interrupted here and there by significant noise outbursts. Grant's voice is affected and monotone in the verse, but suddenly shifts to falsetto in the chorus. The group's classic, "Buck Rogers", brings everyone back to earth, unveiling biting guitars like never before; it will become the band's signature hit.
Another big surprise is the reflective "Piece By Piece" which, on a stumbling rhythmic carpet but embellished by acoustic guitar arpeggios, shows us the band's most intimate and delicate side.
With "Seven Days In The Sun", the band resumes hitting hard, but this time the melody is sunny and very summery, as are the lyrics ("I've got a friend, her name is Laura/We took a holiday, seven sweet days in Majorca/ We took a plane through to southern Spain/To see the ocean wave's blue"), and continues with a punchy yet steady "We Can't Rewind". "Turn" is a classic, straightforward Britrock track dominated by pleasant "blended" guitars, as is "Oxygen", albeit slower. Thus, after grunge outbursts in the vein of Nirvana ("Choke", "Tell All Your Friends") and college rock à la Weezer ("Under The Weather"), the album concludes with the fierce "Bug", hallucinatory and violent.
So, the classic guitar assaults of the Welsh combo remain, but in many cases, they are "softened" by fairly catchy and pleasant melodies; there's no new "Stereo World", so to speak.
A great album that already hinted at Grant Nicholas's great songwriting abilities and revealed Feeder's talent across Europe.
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Summary by Bot
Feeder's 2001 album Echo Park marks a partial shift in style from their earlier work, introducing ethereal electronics alongside their classic rock sound. Produced with Gil Norton, the album blends catchy melodies with powerful guitar moments. Standout tracks include the hit "Buck Rogers" and the introspective "Piece By Piece." The album highlights Grant Nicholas’s growing songwriting skills and Feeder’s rising European presence.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Feeder
Feeder are a Welsh alternative rock band formed in the 1990s, led by songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Grant Nicholas with bassist Taka Hirose. Their catalog is often described as a blend of grunge-tinged guitar rock and British pop-rock melody, with a notable stylistic shift toward more reflective material after drummer Jon Lee’s death in 2002.24 Reviews
Other reviews
By presoblu
"Echo Park is an excellent album that alternates between more intense tracks and more relaxed ones, filled with that typically English melody."
"The album kicks off with 'Standing On The Edge', an intense piece with a laid-back chorus that creates a nice contrast."
