The Dreaming Spires
Normal Town
About this item
This is the band's third album and their first new music in nearly a decade. 'Normal Town' was self-produced at various locations in their hometown of Didcot, with some overdubs contributed by keyboard player Tom at his home in the Scottish Borders. The album was mastered by Tony Poole, known for his work with Starry Eyed & Laughing and Bennett Wilson Poole. The Dreaming Spires are a British band known for their distinctive harmonies, roots-infused sound, and Americana-tinged indie rock. Their music has drawn comparisons to artists such as Big Star, Gram Parsons, Teenage Fanclub, and The Byrds, incorporating elements of Americana, country, folk/rock, and classic 60s pop.
Exploring themes of home, nostalgia, alienation and the beauty of the everyday, the record blends 60s rock ‘n’ roll influences, nodding to the Who, Jeff Lynne and the Everly Brothers, and chamber pop accents underpinned by a subtle layer of political commentary, with tracks like ‘Normalisation’, ‘21st Century Light Industrial’ and the title track ‘Normal Town’, which pays homage to their hometown of Didcot, once dubbed "the most normal town in England."
Brothers Robin and Joe Bennett previously formed the Oxfordshire indie band Goldrush in the early 2000s, which signed to Virgin Records. Over the last decade, they have toured the world as part of Saint Etienne's live band and the award-winning group Bennett Wilson Poole. Jamie Dawson drums for touring US artists such as Annie Keating and Carter Sampson, while Tom Collison also plays keys in Danny & the Champions of the World. Nick Fowler is band member of choice for the likes of Gaz Coombes and Peter Buck.
“The Dreaming Spires have a familiar sound, one that seems to sit at the fringes of recollection. Perhaps it's the cast involved. The band are an offshoot of Goldrush and Danny & The Champions Of The World, with their sound reflecting the shimmering, acoustic side of those projects.” - Clash Magazine
"...pays homage to American rock idols like Big Star, with Byrdsy harmonies and charming accents" - Time Out New York
"Big Star by way of Gram Parsons and Teenage Fanclub." - The Independent
''...power-pop hooks and sweet harmonies'' 8/10 UNCUT