The Storys

Album Review

The Storys specialize in lush harmony and high-flying pop songs, the kind of songs that remind one of sunny summer days, falling in love, and sleeping late on Sunday. The Storys are blessed with four singer/songwriters, which gives the band — Steve Balsamo, Andy Collins, Dai Smith, Rob Thompson, Brian Thomas, and Alan Thomas — lots of versatility within the pop medium. The arrangements of songs like "Roll Like a Stone" are buoyant and full, a broad mix of acoustic and electric elements, with each instrument allowed to stand out in the mix. Incredibly, the Storys began recording the album in Thompson's kitchen before moving to a converted cinema, where they recorded 30 songs over the next six months; 11 of those songs were chosen for The Storys, and the album was released independently before being picked up by Warner Music in the U.K. The Storys' happy sound has deep roots in '60s and '70s pop, and the band will probably be compared to contemporary pop bands like Oasis. These comparisons, though, are just a way of placing the Storys on the pop spectrum. The Storys is a charming debut that will please anyone who still believes that one of music's most basic obligations is to make the listener feel good. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi