"Stop The World" (2.3 Meg) by Flood is the Sound File Of The Month for June, 2001 at Sight N Sound.org.

Flood is a five piece rock band from the Llanelli area of South Wales, UK. Flood's first full length independent album release of Cats & Trumpets presents 11 truly stunning songs. The instantly gripping "Stop The World" (2.3 Meg) is a tame acoustical piece with a penetrating hook that begs to dominate anyone's "instant replay" memory. Immediately presented are the crisp vocals of Nick Skinner who lends a touch of Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell to his tone. There is a crisp and sweet acoustic guitar solo not unlike those cleanly picked in the hits "The Border" by America or Mick Jagger's "Lucky At Love". An all around GREAT SONG, "Stop The World" (2.3 Meg) seems much too short clocking in at 2:24. Perhaps the very element that leaves the listener craving much more.

	Click here to download "Stop The World"
	Purchasing Cats & Trumpets is easy From Peoplesound.com or Directly from Flood via PayPal send $11.00 to flooduk@hotmail.com
	Read on for a full review of Flood's Cats & Trumpets...	official Flood website

"Stand In The Rain" is the opening track on Flood's album Cats & Trumpets. A catchy hook is the perfect way to start an album off and Flood does just that via a seemingly electric 12 string intro and teasing bass fade in. With memorable melodies during the verses and chorus, you'll find yourself, at least, humming along. Although Flood has their own sound and style there is a small Knack and/or Pretenders presence in this tune.

"Stop The World" is followed by "This River" which presents our first listen of a kick butt beat and mean electric power drive. Killer guitar solo too.

"Sum Me Up" offers up a splendid symphony of funk, rock, and pop. This fun piece is accented with an outstanding foray of electric guitars. In at least three different flavors, the electric guitar parts are complex, yet fun to hear and imagine, "how'd they do that?"

The fifth cut, "Time To Breathe" begs to be my favourite track on this release. A well crafted and beautiful acoustic ballad gives a hint that lead vocalist Nick Skinner is not without passion. Vocal tone and color nearly parallels that of Men At Work's Colin James Hay for this stylish piece. With lyrics that sends the mind into a picturesque trance, soothing vocals, pretty accompaniment, and majestic harmonizing, "Time To Breathe" could easily be a huge radio hit!

"The Badge" starts off like a Cat Stevens tune and gradually progresses into a deep electric groove before speeding (no pun intended (read the lyrics)) into a pure rock tangent. Perhaps most impressive is the heartfelt electric guitar solo near the end.

"Is that AC-DC?" was my first thought upon the intro to "Diggin' In The Dirt". Then it occurred to me it might be ZZ-Top guitarist Billy Gibbons sitting in on the session. It turns out to be pure Flood with funk laden rock and a "southern rock" sound that was born in the U.S. in the early '70s.

Flood bassist Kev Lewis has his hands full on Aardvarks. Here's another tune that kicks ass all around. I found myself whistling this tune in the shower after just a couple listens. It starts with a busy bass riff and a psychedelic rhythm guitar part. Chorus finds a smooth well miked ride from drummer Barry Spencer. The icing on this cake is a commercial guitar solo ranking along side Journey's Neal Schon's action. Even though the song is 4:30 in length I still find myself bummed when the fade-out ensues.

"Never Be Alone" comes about with a precision lead riff and rhythm combination. The overall sound reminds me of Blues Traveler (sans John Popper's annoying diabolical harmonica). A joyful tune, easy to sing along with. Simple songs like this one are what helps make Flood a great band.

"Till The Sun Don't Shine" is a soft acoustic piece about not losing track of your ambitions. Subtle acoustic changes and wide vocal range combine with a fitting and emotional guitar solo to round this tune to perfection. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band couldn't have done it any better than Flood.

"Distant Sun" is a perfect closing song for an album. Bordering on "Stairway..." quality songwriting, "Distant Sun" is right up there with "Time To Breathe" for being my pet picks. Starting out as a soft smooth Moody Blues tease, the song takes an emotional direction with passion filled vocals and soaring guitar parts from lead axe-man Sean Connell that mimic the wrist action of Fixx guitarist Jamie West-Oram. Like "Stairway To Heaven", this song could have gotten away with beeing 7+ minutes as 4:35 is clearly just wetting the appetite.

Overall, Cats & Trumpets is an outstanding album. The variety of style and talent available from Flood is plentiful and certainly the perfect mold for a commercial success. With catchy pop hooks, rock riffs, emotional ballads, and more serious conceptual anthems all together on the same album, Cats & Trumpets has something to please just about everyone.

Steve Pariseau