Liverpool born singer/songwriter Banners (Mike Nelson in civilian form) sounds like an old soul with a haunted croon – that is, a crooner with a taste for stadium sized anthem rock.
Banners starts out strong with I’d Start a Riot on his self-titled EP, produced by Stephen Kozmeniuk (Madonna, Nicki Minaj). His vocal is mellow and the melody is reflective.
Just as it’s time to settle in with a lovely dark ballad, Banners switches gears and gets anthemic.
Either would’ve worked but Banners’ plaintive voice and the chiming guitars give the melodic content natural uplift. It’s a sweet sound, as is Shine a Light. Both tracks are strong in the U.K. folk/rock tradition.
There’s a melancholic undercurrent in the music but the melodic character gets rhythmic push and beefs up the power quotient. These aren’t power ballads, though, being more open hearted and less maudlin than that style.
Banners goes for an early Coldplay approach: character driven vocal, shimmery guitar, steady on bass and drums, panoramic chorus. It’s designed for impact but keeps the blow softened.
The potential for heavy drama is here but Banners and company wisely work the dynamic for some grand Byronic tracks like Ghosts – a wraith ridden track that hearkens back to Mary Shelley, writ large and loud.
Banners’ music has an elemental character that gains strength with the looming backgrounds that build into big sounds. He’s got his eyes on the stadiums.
– Dean Gordon-Smith reviews the latest music releases for The Morning Star every Friday.
