By Marc A. Price • March 8, 2009

On March 19th The Contrast begin recording their 6th original full length album (if you don’t count Perfect Disguise, which was a compilation album). The recording of the bands first original album for Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records is to take place at Cottage Road Studios in Leeds. Once again, the mixing desk duties will be dealt with by long time producer and collaborator Andy Hawkins.

The recording of the album, which has a working title of “Good Luck Charms & Fast Cars” is likely to continue until the end of April. There is no news as yet as to when it will be released. However, the rumour is that there will be some new material sneaking its way out before the album see the light of day. I’ll keep you informed of any news as and when I get it.

Perfect Disguise has made the Paisley Umbrella Blogspot's Top Ten Albums of 2008 list.

The Contrast
Perfect Disguise: Introducing The Contrast
Wicked Cool Records
The Contrast occupy their own space. It's hard to say what they sound like. One hears traces of early REM, Tom Petty, and Paul Weller with their six-string Rickenbacker sound which is so central to the music, but the song timing is odd at times (especially evident on previous releases like Forget To Tell The Time, the song structures different, and on top of that, it's highly polished powerpop. The result is that The Contrast are incredibly distinctive and don't really "sound" like anyone else, but the music remains catchy and accessible. The Contrast is well off the beaten path. Read the original review of Perfect Disguise here.
go here to see the full list.

The Contrast
Unity @ Goodbarns Yard, Peterborough – July 31 2008

The Contrast are a 'proper band'. Not in terms of success, although in that sense too they are a 'proper band'. They have gained recognition in America, recording five albums on a New York-based record label, and received plenty of radio play and media coverage on that side of the atlantic. But a 'proper band' in terms of their music.

The songs they offer us here at Goodbarns tonight – and they must play for approaching an hour – are the sort of old school, fully rounded songs which good, experienced musicians used to write before this new era of bands having to be flavour of the minute became… well…flavour of the minute.

Sounding generally like the sort of musical genre that is home to the likes of REM and, more particularly, Elvis Costello, it is not difficult to see why The Contrast would find an enthusiastic audience in the US. What is probably more surprising is that they haven't quite achieved the same recognition in their native country.

They are at once simple and complex. Watch rhythm guitarist Kieran Wade, and you'll see that the songs are rooted mostly in basic open chords. At the same time, front man Dave Reid is capable of the sort of guitar solos that aspiring shedders would die for, but never plays them for the sake of it, only ever to add something to the music. It's this fusion of simplicity and complexity, the balance between basic structures and technical ability used sparingly, and the synergy of good lyrics and strong melody, which put these songs, and this band, in a class above.

As if to remind us that they are not entirely American-influenced, a cover of The Beatles' 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is thrown in towards the end, sounding enormous and still relevant, despite being forty years old. On this showing it's about time we caught up with the Americans, and gave this band the recognition that they clearly deserve.
- Paddy Burke, Art and Soul magazine
http://www.artandsoulmagazine.com/

The Contrast "Perfect Disguise"
The Contrast are a powerpop band that comes all the way from Peterborough, England. They were formed in 1999, and have released six albums. Perfect Disguise is their latest, and their first album with Little Steven's Wicked Cool records. They have been a regular staple of the Underground Garage, and have been described as one of the coolest bands in the world. The album is a compilation of material from their back-catalogue, including previously unreleased tracks. The Contrast play a brand of short and addictive sonic candy, and it's hard to stop listening.

The music of the band is clearly influenced by the sounds of the 60s, but is quite different, with a modern sound reminiscent of REM. David Reid's voice is immensely pleasant and lends itself well to the short pop songs. Besides the solid vocal work, each track is full of cracking guitar riffs, great backing vocals, and catchy hooks. People looking for a great variety among the album are probably going to leave a little disappointed, as all the tracks are quite similar. But for fans of short and addictive power-pop songs then I would not hesitate to recommend this album. It is the best introduction to the four-part harmonies of The Contrast, which contains all their most infectious power-pop hits.
- electric boogie show blogspot - June '08

The Contrast, Perfect Disguise: Introducing the Contrast ****
While the Contrast haven't moved enough merchandise either at home in the U.K. or across the pond in the States to truly merit a "greatest-hits" album, Little Steven Van Zandt is enough of a fan to think they deserve one anyway, and one or two spins of Perfect Disguise: Introducing the Contrast, compiled for Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records label, is enough to convince nearly anyone that the guy has a valid point. Featuring choice cuts from the Contrast's first five albums, Perfect Disguise is a near-perfect amalgamation of jangle pop melodies, indie rock attitude, and new wave guitar heroics (if Tom Verlaine and Peter Buck had a baby, the kid would play a lot like Contrast brainchild David Reid). These 14 songs don't exactly shy away from the band's obvious influences, but the energy and power of the group's attack are fresh and invigorating, and "Caught in a Trap," "Believe," and "Disconnected" really do sound like hit singles, with irresistible hooks and choruses to die for. It's arguable if this collection really needed two versions of both "Mystery" and "Perfect Disguise," but the songs show enough variety in electric and acoustic form to show just how strong these tunes are and that they can take on different shapes and still shine brightly. Most fans of smart pop and contemporary garage rock probably aren't all that familiar with the Contrast (at least not in the United States), and Perfect Disguise is an ideal introduction to a fine, woefully underrated band that truly delivers the goods.
~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Meanwhile, here’s some fine noise from the UK, also brought to us by Wicked Cool:
The Contrast, Perfect Disguise: Introducing the Contrast (Wicked Cool Records)
This guitar-worshipping quartet released their first full-length on Rainbow Quartz in 2000, a year or so after forming, and have studiously submitted four albums since then. Perfect Disguise culls from the first four and adds a few new and unreleased tracks for good measure.

The Contrast are not a group likely to make you sell all of your worldly possessions and pursue the RocknRoll Life, but they will serve to remind you that there’s a lot of good music that goes years without getting any sort of the attention it deserves.__If you don’t like big guitars, this band is not yours. There are driving leads ("Mask") and rhythm growls straight out of Fables of the Reconstruction ("Can’t Stand the Light") and the melodies soar, even when melancholia takes the wheel. Towering choruses are the modus operandi, but nothing ever seems to eclipse David Reid’s lyrics. While it would be unfair to compare Reid to Peter Case or Paul Westerberg – they are three distinct writers with distinct gifts – his lyrics tend to recall a less bitter Westerberg, conveying the same palpable disgust of the teenage wasteland and all of its perpetrators. __No single territory of Reid’s vocal range goes unexplored, and his tone is clean without sounding trained, which is emblematic of the band itself. The Contrast are unabashed pop-smiths, not as calculated as Spoon and closer to REM than Big Star (the REM comparison is obvious but unavoidable) with a more an adequate tutelage of Plimsouls style. They have the sound they want, lean into it all the way, and their refined instincts keep the canvas from wearing thin. They may not blow your mind, but they’ll serve as a reminder that rocking pop music is always scratching at the dismal surface of the mainstream.

The Contrast could be the first great 21st century power-pop band, and with any luck, this compilation will help them reach the audience who are going to feel a little cheated when they find that the great new music they’ve been waiting for has been waiting for them since the turn of the millennium. – Chris Henderson – houstonpress.com

The Contrast
Perfect Disguise
Wicked Cool CD
www.wickedcoolrecords.com
Almost ignored in their home country, Peterborough's The Contrast have been quietly producing classy, stylish guitar pop for a while now. An REM comparison immediately springs to mind; Reid is not a plagiarist or imitator – far from it – but his wistful vocal and the well done backing vocals are the connection to early REM, or, to be precise, to bands who inhabited similar musical territory. The UK's Harbour Kings (previously Rollin' Thunder) and the USA's Jolene spring to mind. What all the aforementioned bands share is an ability to create songs that are "strangely strange but still normal". The 16 tunes here have plenty of soaring melodic choruses and hooks aplenty, but without being at all "experimental" or "arty" they sidestep conventional song structures and patterns, heading off in unpredictable directions that never seem jerky or too clever. The title tune, 'Believe' and 'How To Tell' are cases in point; beguiling and adult power pop for the 21st century.
There are some stand-alone pop songs here but the album works best as a whole, allowing the songs to blend into one another. I can't always guess where David Reid is coming from, but I just know I like it!
- Phil Suggitt – Shindig magazine (March-April issue 2008)

The Contrast, Perfect Disguise (out this week): I have raved about this British band before, but this compilation provides the ideal introduction to their unique sonic delights. Their music clearly pays homage to the '60s, but it doesn't really sound like any particular British band of the period, nor is it classifiable as garage-rock, because singer David Reid's voice is too smooth and cultured. But the contrast between the crackling guitar riffs and velvety vocal tones is immensely appealing, and the intense hookiness of the tunes enhances matters. My closest comparison is the Bevis Frond minus the long guitar extrapolations, but that's so obscure that I'd just advise you to sample a few tracks and see if you're not instantly captivated.
- Ken Barnes – USA Today – Feb 2008

Perfect Disguise - Introducing The Contrast is officially out now - available from stores and online retailers worldwide. Below is an extract from a review posted by the Paisley Umbrella blog today.
( go here to read the full article)

The Contrast
Perfect Disguise: Introducing the Contrast
Wicked Cool Records

I received a copy of Perfect Disguise: Introducing the Contrast almost a week before the official US release, so I was pretty excited to review a release that was not yet available. They're a great guitar driven powerpop four piece from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. This release is full of shimmery guitars, great melodies that are unique, short songs, all really catchy stuff.

Perfect Disguise is full of great songs. From the opening "Mystery 1" starts off with a catchy guitar riff that tells you to pay attention to them, "Can't Stand the Light" has a slower feel with some great jangle guitars and a few other surprises that you're going to have to listen to it to find out. The Contrast are a band that have combined the best elements of different bands into something their own. Off the top of my head, I can think of The Buzzcocks, The Bangles, The Plimsouls, and The Stranglers with Tom Petty and Paul Weller writing the songs together, with a good touch of The Smithereens. With great influences, the work retains its own and doesn't sound like anyone else because great powerpop relies on the tried and true: Simple chords, great guitar hooks that get you interested, some great harmonies, and a beat that you can't help nodding your head along with in the least, as well as obvious references to bands that came before. However, almost every song on Perfect Disguise is unique and memorable. Most of the songs will have something different in them that makes you stop and listen, from the higher pitched guitar bridge on "Caught In a Trap" to the occasional voice only song closings like "Ansaphone". Lead singer David Reid's vocals are really hard to place, but have a deep, resonant quality that although quite different both in tone and range, rises above a foundation of great music where each player has their own distinction and lead, much like Roger Daltrey's voice emerged as a competitor to his fellow bandmates during the height of The Who...

...Perfect Disguise: Introducing The Contrast lives up to its title. The songs are mostly older and repackaged since they didn't get their due when they were originally released, but because of their lack of exposure and new release on a record label with a lot more recognition, this signals "The Contrast has arrived. Hear for the first time what you've been missing."
- Paisley Umbrella - feb 2008

Perfect Disguise: Introducing The Contrast – official release date
Perfect Disguise : Introducing The Contrast, the bands' first release for Little Steven's Wicked Cool Records has it's official US release on February 19th.
A SIXTEEN SONG collection of the finest cuts from the band's first four albums. This is the only collection available. Includes two NEW songs, and two previously unreleased acoustic versions of Contrast favorites - "Mystery 1" and "Perfect Disguise"!
The album is also already available via Wicked Cool's own website as both a cool looking Digipak or as a digital download

Underground Ghosts in USA Today Albums of the Year list
Ken Barnes of USA Today has listed Underground Ghosts as one of his albums of the year – noting that it may have made his 'top ten, if he was making one'!

Number Five in the ENGAGE radio chart
'Clue' is at number 5 in the ENGAGE radio Top Ten this week, having re-entered the listener vote-based chart last week (at 8) – massive thanks to everyone who has voted! go here to vote for The Contrast again this week.