Gareth Jones - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, Keyboards
Pete Roberts - Lead guitar, backing vocals
Kris Blight - Bass guitar
John Maloney - Drums
Ian Russell - Keyboards
The five piece rock band from Cardiff, Wales returns with their second
Wind-Up Records release. The band, which went through a name change as well as shifting members to add another, started back
in 2000 as Robots in the Sky. They then changed it to Tetra Splendour which was changed again in 2005 to People in Planes.
Their first Wind-Up release As Far as the
Eye Can See featured a top 40 single “If You Talk Too Much
(My Head Will Explode).” This release Beyond the Horizon features 12 tracks
(and a bonus on for iTune listeners) and some with a bonus DVD. The album begins with “Last Man Standing” begins
slow with distant vocals and some keys, but adds in some sweet guitar beats and a solid drum beat. The vocals to come forward
in some parts but stays distant for most of the track as they also add in some tambourines. Lead single “Mayday (M’aidez)”
spins off the album 2nd with cool and funky beat to it. Everything on the track is low key and doesn’t get
very loud. Garth keeps the vocals very low until the chorus. That’s when everything gets going up to speed, but quickly
backs back down to the low key sound. “Get on the Flaw” begins with a violin then adds in a funky sounding drum
beat and some tambourines as “Pretty Buildings” begins with keys and a simple voice and lyrics that will stand
out to listeners. “Better Than Life” is a very puzzeling and intriguing track. It draws you attention to it with
a catchy beat and a nice heavy guitar lick, but some of the lyrics are queer sounding. They sound strange and if you read
them they are also strange. Like this set: "We need to know what it's like to make love sometimes, I'm a virgin, yeah
and so are you." It just doesn’t make sense to me. “Flesh and Blood” has running water in the beginning
like someone just flushed a toilet. The sound it very weird as it jumps around way to much and is very distracting. The title
track “Beyond the Horizon” makes its appearance as the number 7 track. Starting off the second half of the album
the song flashes styles of tunes throughout it. Having twist and turns throughout the entire it leaves the listener guessing
where it’s going next. “Know by Now” begins with a simple acoustic guitar and vocals. They quickly add some
drums and other guitars in the track. Its one of the better tracks on the album as it really gets you into it very quick.
It also has a lyrical set that will attract listeners to read them and sing along. “Tonight the Sun Will Rise”
is a blast to listen to with some hints of raging guitars and very clear vocals to listen to. “I Wish You’d Fall
Apart” is a very odd track that needs to be listened to at least once as “Vampire” is a addicting track
with a sweet sound and cool lyrics talking about everything that is a vampire. The album concludes with the track “Evil
with Your” a 5 minute earful. A simple and elegant sounding track ends the album on a high note. It does its job as
it leaves you wanting another taste of the album. Overall the album is pretty decent. There are a lot of twists and turns
lyrically and music throughout the album as well as the songs themselves. The vocals are almost always crisp and clear. There
are some nice guitar and drum play and most of the lyrics are very nicely laid and written. This is an album that needs to
be listened to once or twice to understand the album as a whole and get use to the band. To me this is a listen to see album.
The DVD to the set features a show that includes the entire album live. It’s a nice added touch that improves the rating
of the set. It gives you another way to enjoy the album.
Rating: 7 out of 10
My favorite tracks:
Last Man
Standing, Know by Now, and
Track List:
1. Last Man Standing
2. Mayday (M'aidez)
3. Get on the Flaw
4. Pretty Buildings
5. Better Than Life
6. Flesh and Blood
7. Beyond the Horizon
8. Know by Now
9. Tonight the Sun Will Rise
10. I Wish You'd Fall Apart
11. Vampire
12. Evil With You
Website (s): www.peopleinplanes.com, www.winduprecords.com
