Puressence – Don’t Forget To Remember : Review

ukevents.net · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Posts: 2439

Puressence – Don’t Forget To Remember – Review

Jay Morey

I’ve seen Puressence live twice in the last two years, and each time, as well as their classic tunes, they showcased the new offerings that can be found on new album Don't Forget To Remember. For almost five years, the Puressence faithful has eagerly awaited these new tracks.

A Manchunian four-piece described as being a hidden gemstone of great music, of having the best front man and voice to have ever emanated from Salford, Puressence have been gracing music since 1994. I’ve been there since 1998, I’ve written about them in other online articles asking why oh why oh why have they been so seemingly ignored and under appreciated.

When I review an album, I traditionally like to state firstly its finer points then follow with the failings. Fortunately, for this fourth collection of beautiful tunes from Puressence, there are absolutely no failings. It’s been more than worth the wait, the snatches I first heard in the beer-sodden Carling Academy Islington in 2005.

First two albums, self-titled Puressence and Only Forever were lauded with critical acclaim, yet strangely no success. Those offerings have since been deleted and will set back any latecomer a pretty penny on auction sites. This album is not a bad place for any new listeners to start. James Mudriczki’s voice is instantly spine tingling, the basic beauty of the songs are very pleasing, showcasing solid guitar and drum-work. Strong lyrics of true life, not so much love thankfully, but of a life yet to yield results, a life frustratingly unfulfilled and knowledge just not within grasp but knowledge that everyone else seems to have.

Play tracks 5 and 6, Life Comes Down Hard, and Bitter Pill as loud as possible in huge headphones to best value the layers of production as well as the tension and emotion within the lyrics. Track 4, Don’t Know Any Better is a wonderful example of rock balladry, as well as 7, Brainwaves. These songs sedgeway the very strong heavier cuts of the album. They emote and make you forget those lesser guitar-jangling pretenders who have hi-jacked Q. stand-out track is Burns Inside, an opus of natural human wondering and rain-soaked dead dreams.

Last album, Planet Helpless, was arguably a little too long, but this self-released contribution is just right at ten songs, well book-ended with heavy tracks and harkening more to their best and most approachable album, Only Forever.
Why this band is not gigantic is one mystery of current music that many critics and reviewers are finding it hard to fathom. But then again, perhaps we like having them as a secret.