ALBUM REVIEW: Glorious Sunset – Hundred Reasons
HUNDRED REASONS are up there as one of the best British rock bands of the past 20 years, which is no mean feat considering they haven’t released an album of new material since 2007. Having been on a massively long hiatus meant that the band have only got together sporadically since then, usually to play a gig here and there for special occasions, although with a strong following and a formidable live show, their legacy was definitely cemented.
New music wasn’t forthcoming however and it seemed as if that album from 2007, Quick The Word, Sharp The Action, would be the last word in recorded music from HUNDRED REASONS. Of course, those gigs would hopefully continue, like celebrating the anniversary of the band’s debut album Ideas Above Our Station for instance, but it seemed like that would be all. Gigs were announced but ended up being postponed due to the pandemic, however during this uncertain time something special happened and HUNDRED REASONS slowly got back to working together and the results are their brand new and somewhat surprising album Glorious Sunset, with those gigs now acting as support for the new record.
While this album came out of the blue, the quality of the songs on the record will come as no surprise to the legion of HUNDRED REASONS fans; these ten tracks are everything that you have come to love from the band. Passionate vocals, soaring and upbeat grooves and that classic HUNDRED REASONS feeling of triumph and hopefulness throughout are the order of the day here and it is really great to have them back.
Listening to Glorious Sunset does make it feel as though HUNDRED REASONS have never been away and as the instantly recognisable vocals of Colin Doran ring out it feels so good to hear this music. Crucially, rather than some nostalgia trip, the songs on this album feel vital and current but also timeless.
Tracks like Right There With You, The Old School Way and the title track of Glorious Sunset stand shoulder to shoulder with any songs from the HUNDRED REASONS back catalogue, while the stunning and stirring Replicate could well be the best song that the band have ever recorded – seriously, it’s that good. In fact, the whole album sounds so vibrant and electric, with a hopeful vibe crackling from start to finish, and from singalong epics to more laidback sounds there is plenty of variety that showcases the sheer joy of HUNDRED REASONS.
Put simply, this album is a triumph and everything you love and missed from HUNDRED REASONS is present and correct on Glorious Sunset. If this is the band’s recorded swansong, hopefully it won’t be, but if it is, then it has been a blessing to hear it and it is a fine addition to the musical legacy that HUNDRED REASONS have brought us and an album that will soundtrack this summer and many summers to come with its anthemic and triumphant nature.
Rating: 8/10
Glorious Sunset is out now via SO Recordings.
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