Sound Of Guns - Alcatraz

I have learnt a bit about Alcatraz while researching the new single by Liverpool basedSound Of Guns. Firstly, I never knew that an Alcatraz is an illegal move in a game of bridge, secondly I didn't know that it is home to the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast of America. And they said that I would never learn anything writing about music.

My first question as I slipped the CD into the player was what was the Alcatraz that the band are singing about. Luckily for me this is answered in the opening line where Andy(we don't get told a surname, a bit like Madonna then) sings "I've got to hand it to you for making it of the island". This is where the theme of Alcatraz as a prison ends and becomes a metaphor for a broken relationship.

What kind of relationship this is we, as a listener, are not told but the refrain "you walk away/all these things won't mater now" seems to refer to a partner walking out on Andy. Saying that it could just as easily be a ex band member leaving the group. We just don't know.

Musically I expected this to be a fairly typical release from a Liverpool based band. Jingly guitars, gang vocals, that sort of thing. What the listener gets is completely the opposite. Power chords reign supreme here with not a gang vocal chorus in sight. To be frank I'm pretty relived about that as I wouldn't know what to say.

To be blunt this is honest, unashamed rock music. There isn't anything too fancy just a good solid rock track thats currently being played by the likes of Zane Lowe on Radio 1 and if that's you cup of tea then you will love this track.