The first truly great album of 2006 is already out, if only in digital form. It's New Radiant Storm King's 'The Steady Hand', which appeared on iTunes last weekend. Now, I'm not much of an iTunes user... I'm one of those weirdos who needs to hold a disc in their hands on the actual release date; to take in the package design, read every detail of the liner notes as I listen through for the first time, start to finish. But my patience crumbled on this one.
The two song samples posted on the Darla site over the past couple months got me excited enough to grab it as soon as an Almanac reader let me know that it was there, and I haven't stopped listening to 'The Steady Hand' since. The full versions of 'The Winding Staircase' and 'Fighting Off the Pricks' are better than promised, and stuff like 'From a Roof' and 'Quicksand Under Carpet', just as good. Honestly, there's not a bad track on the thing... not a single one I'd skip. Hell, even the iTunes-only bonus track is a keeper.
I'm loving the warm, play-it-loud production... easily the best sounding album they've ever made. The energetic new(ish) rhythm section really delivers, but it's Matt Hunter and Peyton Pinkerton's infectious dual guitar interplay that floors me. I'm just sucker for that stuff, and they pull it of so well. It's a hook-filled rock record with pop moments, taking the best parts of NRSK's noisy past and exanding upon it... it may be their best collection of songs to date, but I'm a little drunk on them all right now. Ask me again when, and if, I sober up. Doubt I'll say much different, though.
It's one of those discs that's gotten me excited about new music again, an album that I'm instantly sure will sit high in my 'best of 2006' in another 12 months. I'm pretty damn excited to see these songs played on a stage, so hopefully word of a Boston show will come down soon.
New Radiant Storm King's 'The Steady Hand' is in stores on February 14th, although Darla is selling it early through their website right now. I didn't even hesitate to pay for this sucker twice, once to Apple and once to the Darla crew... it's so worth it.
(originally posted on) Bradley's Almanac