Posted: May 10th, 2009
Contributed By: Nick

	Click to Purchase Release Date: November 10th, 2008 via Universal New Zealand
	Solstate is: Troy McKubre (Vocals / Guitar) Darren Crowe (Guitar) Zorran Mendonsa (Guitar) Dan Insley (Bass) Tristan Reilly (Drums)

Overview: Solstate is the baby of its front-man and mastermind, the New Zealander known as Troy McKubre. McKubre’s songs started gaining attention rapidly, eventually aligning him with North American producer/mixer Ben Grosse (Sevendust, Alter Bridge) who contributed mixes of two tracks to McKubre’s under construction album. Moving forward, McKubre enlisted studio drummer Andrew Maclaren to throw down the beats (sans tracks 2, 3, and 4 which were performed by Dave Clark) and pegged Chris Van De Geer as his main production buddy. With an album ready to go, Troy McKubre carved himself a band, a band he dubbed Solstate. And late last year, McKubre and his Solstate troops unveiled said album, called ‘Whispers & Tremors‘. The record is only available in New Zealand, however Solstate plans to make ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ available globally sometime soon.

The Good: ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ locks, loads, and delivers its first blow, the rock ‘n roll Molotov cocktail “Free Your Mind” that lances the album with a backdraft of crackling, monolithic energy and tone. “Tonight” is a soaring groove piloted by Troy McKubre’s honest-to-God vocal urgency, while its coy harmonies churn out big attitudes for big results. Drummer Dave Clark is the maestro of the atmospheric “Rise”, as his nifty drum dance serves as the track’s footprints. At the 2:57 mark, Clark turns up the low-end on the snare giving “Rise” even more body to flex. “Start Again” will maul you with sharp, crunchy riffs, kept in check by its sweeping, secretly catchy chorus. Gentle and charming, the frolicking “Turn the Other Way” sports a tight snare walk right out of a modern country album, a cadre upon which McKubre lay his endearing lyrics. T the Mc Cobra does his best impression of Bloodsimple’s Tim Williams throughout “Against & With”, a reflective visionary with a heavenly chorus and a 2 minute finale gifted with an ambient groove ala XM channel 71 (check it out). “Where to Go” is as smooth as it gets, implementing an entrancing bridge and a lush, downright sexy snare drum sound as a gateway to the tune’s colossal outro. ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ transitions nicely from cushion to pushin’ with the thick and punchy “Resist”, a song that wears its ’90’s alt-rock heart on its sleeve loudly, proudly, and rightfully so. The crushing choruses of “Single Taste” match fluidly with its sun-smooched verses, underpinned with a colorful wave of vocal layering. “Midnight” is a raw acoustic solo number by Mr. McKubre, his heartfelt eloquence transforming twilight into limelight.

‘Whispers & Tremors‘ has a pair of uber-brilliant songs in “Alright Now” and “Finally”. “Alright Now” is a dazzling duet from Troy McKubre and his cameo pick Boh Runga. The pair flows with a sensual vibe, turning out a chorus that is simply stunning. “Alright Now” is the production ace of ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ thanks to its deep, late ’80’s/early 90’s hall/pop sound brushed with majestic orchestral strokes; all in all, all is indeed kosher on the beautiful “Alright Now”. “Finally”, the record’s closing statement-wait, scratch that-”Finally” is a magical goodbye kiss. I love how “Finally” lacks any real definition, letting Troy McKubre’s mind, soul, and spirit speak freely with bountiful results. “Finally” will take your breath away, not just as a song but as a work of art.

The Bad: We begin our tour through the icky parts of ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ with the latter portion of “Rise” where we find Solstate lost in a purposeless for a good minute and a half plus. “Against & With” needs some fat shaved off its intro, while the song’s smooth jazz-inspired groove, although nifty, has little if any benefit. “Where to Go” is an ironically appropriate billing for song seven, as Solstate clearly begin to lose focus and direction midway through the tune. Regardless, “Where to Go” is not half as powerful as its two immediate predecessors, feeling as lost in the shuffle of ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ as Solstate are throughout “Where to Go”. The bridge of “Single Taste” tries its darndest to make a moving dynamic statement, but unfortunately the silence backfires and kills the flow.

Bottomline: ‘Whispers & Tremors‘ is money no doubt. Even if you think the songs suck the overall sound of the record makes it worth your time. Sure there are some tiny sticks and stones but they don’t get close to breaking Solstate’s bones. I don’t know much about New Zealand, but I do know this-if they keep producing bands like Solstate who make albums like ‘Whispers & Tremors‘, I’ll be on the next flight to Auckland.

TuneLab Rating: 9 out of 10