The Feeling
Together We Were Made

My first contact with The Feeling was definitely not one of the happiest, mainly because of them, or perhaps due to the usual bizarre commercial strategies of the majors. The fact is that the band's first official single was a rather boring and whiny little song, probably designed to ride the wave of the unfortunate Coldplay effect, which actually blocks the development and promotion of genuine, simple, and brilliant pop rock at the mainstream level.

Choosing such a debut when the album "Twelve Stops And Home" could count on a little gem like "Helicopter" remains a pretty big misstep, but since then Dan Gillespie's group has managed to gain quite a few sympathy and consideration points. First of all, for their sincerity, they make pop, and they have admitted it right from the start without pretentious ambiguity, and this is highly appreciable. Aside from some sugary excesses in a few ballads, their style is diametrically opposed to what the first single suggested, being fresh, lively, and spirited. The Feeling propose themselves as continuers of the '70s pop rock glory and to a lesser extent the '80s, when sadness and sloppiness were not yet in vogue; derivative? Surely, but also supported by enthusiasm and a good frontman like Dan Gillespie, an excellent pop songwriter among other things, and after all, that's what truly matters.

“Together We Were Made,” their third album dated 2011, marks the definite maturity of the English group, the last quality leap toward forming their own defined identity. Even though it is more varied and heterogeneous compared to its two predecessors, it is much more uniform in terms of quality, the product of a group enriched by experience and with clear and defined ideas, determined to carry on their style without being influenced by new passing trends. The most evident difference from the group's previous production is undoubtedly the much more pervasive presence of synthesizers, which, however, never slips towards a predictable synth-pop revival turn but represents a valuable cohesive element for a very varied and brilliant album. Benefiting from this small stylistic shift are especially the ballads, which lose that sugary and somewhat listless aura of “Join With Us,” with great benefits in terms of inspiration, melodic richness, and enthusiasm. A bit surprisingly, one of the best episodes is “Leave Me Out Of It”, a big ballad duet with dance starlet Sophie Ellis-Bextor, showcasing a full, live sound, not skimping on choirs and orchestrations without ever being pompous and heavy; a great sense of balance and communicative immediacy that is also found in episodes like “Build A Home” and “Another Life”, and in the more sentimental “Say No” and “Love And Care”, which hold the stage with the right amount of energy and conviction. “Together We Were Made” offers many other pleasant surprises, including the choral power pop with vaguely tribal rhythms of a brilliant and well-chosen single like “Set My World On Fire”, the fun and ironic march of “Mr. Grin”, reminiscent of the Supertramp style of “Breakfast In America,” the charming and intriguing funk of an excellent “Dance For The Lights”, a collaboration with the esteemed Róisín Murphy, the reflective tranquility of a piano ballad like “Back Where I Came From”, which in its approach recalls the latest Elton John reinterpreted in an electronic key, with an unexpected rock acceleration in the chorus, and the sweet acoustic ghost track “Hardest Stone”. Despite two or three somewhat underwhelming episodes, overall an excellent performance.

Yes, “Together We Were Made” is an (almost) perfect archetype of how a pop rock album should be as (insert favorite deity) commands; sincere, above all else, as far as I'm concerned sincerity matters much more than value, technique, or any other detail, even if it presupposes some slightly naive lyrics, this too is part of the game; and then it's an album truly well-made, complete and entertaining, very well sung which never hurts, while waiting for its successor, “Boy Cried Wolf,” set for imminent release, it remains a really great listen, the ideal album to brighten up a boring day, an excellent performance for a still young and growing group. We're certainly not talking about the new Queen, but after all, not everyone can be geniuses and innovators. Good artisans are also needed, capable and competent continuers of valid and consolidated traditions, but also capable of adding something of their own; The Feeling are this, just like practically all the current “mainstream” artists I consider noteworthy, because perhaps it is true that everything in this field has already been invented, but that doesn’t mean things can't still be done well, as indeed in this case.