Reason - The 11th Street Sessions
Artist:
Title:
The 11th Street Sessions
Type:
Album
Released:
26 Jan 2011 (US), 01 Jul 2009 (UK)
Your Rating:
Review
Reason are a 3 piece rock band, comprising of Jason Zeeman, Shannon Sutherland and Riaan Kruger, based in Johannesburg South Africa. This short 6-track Worship EP is a stop-gap until their full album comes out later in the year, and what an EP it is.
Opener 'New Has Come' starts with some catchy guitar riffs that sound more than a little similar to those found in Delirious' 'Rain Down'. That's the first of two Delirious? references I'm going to make in this review, but don't panic, this is not another would-be Delirious? clone. Reason demonstrate right from this opening track that...
Read More Reason are a 3 piece rock band, comprising of Jason Zeeman, Shannon Sutherland and Riaan Kruger, based in Johannesburg South Africa. This short 6-track Worship EP is a stop-gap until their full album comes out later in the year, and what an EP it is.
Opener 'New Has Come' starts with some catchy guitar riffs that sound more than a little similar to those found in Delirious' 'Rain Down'. That's the first of two Delirious? references I'm going to make in this review, but don't panic, this is not another would-be Delirious? clone. Reason demonstrate right from this opening track that they are a highly talented band with much to offer. The drums and guitars are excellent, and Jason's vocals are fantastic.
If you must make a comparison, I suppose the music is somewhere in the middle of Snow Patrol, Nickleback and Oasis. 'All For You' is a calming song with a beautiful and simple chorus, proclaiming "This is for You, This is for You, It's all for You", further showcasing Jason's strong and eloquent voice.
'To Your Name' just makes you want to sing along with its infectious mid-section. 'You Reign' is a simply stunning worship song and the clear highlight of the album, gently expressing awe to God: "You Reign, Jesus You Reign, Forever You Reign, My Saviour". It's one of those songs that you're sure you've heard before, but you can't quite place where. In fact, that almost sums up this album. There's a comforting familiarity about the sound this band produces. That's not to say it feels old or too similar to every other band out there; far from it, it has a fresh edge, but with instantly likable melodies and lyrics.
There is a good range of songs on this EP. 'To Your Name' and 'You Reign' would fit well in a church setting, whilst 'New Has Come' is more for the home listener. But here's that other Delirious? reference: When I first heard that Reason were covering Delirious' 'Paint The Town Red' I have to admit to being more than a little alarmed. There are some bands who you just shouldn't try and cover, and I tend to feel that a cover version rarely lives up to its original version. So, Reason are either brave, or ill-advised to include this on their EP. But actually to be fair, I think this version stands up to scrutiny pretty well. I can imagine it going down a storm in Reason's live sets, and whilst it's neither identical nor vastly different to the way Delirious? play it, it does ably demonstrate Reason's musical skills.
The stand out factors on the album are definitely the strong lyrics and even stronger vocals. You could say Reason are like buried treasure, a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered. Whilst they are now starting to receive the recognition they so rightly deserve in their home country, they will undoubtedly draw wider attention and plenty of new fans in the very near future. If they keep putting together songs like these, expect to hear a lot more from Reason. If you're looking for something new, Reason are a recommendation you should definitely look into, starting with this superb EP.
Review by Dave Wood
Rating 4 out of 5 Stars
Stand out tracks
New Has Come
To Your Name
You Reign
