Track Listing

1. Into The Fire
2. Thru The Glass
3. Gone
4. Do No Wrong
5. The Salt Wound Routine
6. Saving
7. Lead Us
8. Last Forever
9. History
10. Undivided
11. Angels And Spies
12. Automatic

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7719 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 52 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's a risk for a band like Thirteen Senses to release an album like The Invitation in the wake of the all-conquering Coldplay. After all, any melodic, guitar-led British outfit tends to be lumped into the same category (see also Longview, Athlete, etc.), but to write off Thirteen Senses is to do this young band a major disservice. Sure, on this debut album they display the three "e"s--emotive, earnest and epic--but they're also very much ploughing their own furrow. For the most part, The Invitation is a melancholic collection, with songs like the piano-led "Do No Wrong" aimed squarely at the heartstrings. Often, though, their chiming guitars and harmonic vocals (courtesy of angelic-voiced frontman Will South) are reminiscent of classic American bands like The Byrds and Big Star, especially on album-opener "Into the Fire", "Last Forever" and the catchy single "Thru the Glass". At times, The Invitation runs the risk of turning into an indistinct, sub-Coldplay mush, especially in the album's latter half, but there's more than enough here to suggest that Thirteen Senses have delivered a promising debut. --Robert Burrow

Album Description
Cornish 4 piece Thirteen Senses's debut album The Invitation comes from the same rich musical vein as bands such as Coldplay, Keane and Elbow. Produced by Danton Supple (Elbow / Coldplay) The Invitation heralds one of this years best new bands. Thirteen Senses are Will South (vocals / piano guitar), Tom Welham (guitar / backing vox) Adam Wilson (bass) and Brendon James (drums).

CD Description
'The Invitation' is the debut album from West Country outfit Thirteen Senses. Fitting somewhere between the anthemic, indie rock of Coldplay and the piano led ballads of Keane, the album ranges from simple acoustic numbers to full on indierock. The single 'Into The Fire' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Yet another awesome debut for 2004
2004 has been a good year for debuts, and this release from Thirteen Senses just tops the lot. I'd heard a couple of the singles earlier in the year and was eagerly anticipating the full album's release. And I haven't been disappointed.

It came out yesterday, and I spent the whole night listening again and again, constantly changing my mind about which track is the best.

A lot of bands get compared to Coldplay, and alas I'm going to have to do the same thing here. It at least gives an idea of what kind of sound they produce. It has similarities to "Parachutes", Coldplay's equally impressive debut, although Will South's vocals are a little more ethereal and fragile (he reminds me of the lead singer from Danish band Mew). They also have a hint of Travis, and are similar to Keane, albeit with guitars.

I bought this album on the strength of the singles, and because I saw that they were supporting Embrace on a forthcoming tour which I'm attending. This album surpasses Embrace's great new offering (Out of Nothing); in fact, it surpasses everything I've bought this year (even Keane).

Finest tracks for me are "Into the fire", "Thru the glass", "The Salt Wound Routine", "Last Forever", and "Automatic". Or 1,2,5,8 and 12 if you prefer.

If you like melodic, moving, inspiring, soaring, and truly musical Indie/rock/pop, then spending a tenner of this fine new masterpiece will be a tenner well spent. You mark my words.

A heart-felt and staggering work...
The single 'Into the Fire' had that "turn it up, turn it up" effect on me the moment I heard it (such beauty lyrically, vocally and instrumentally is rare indeed) and the debut album from which the song is taken by a band not widely acknowledged in the music press and highly under-credited in my view...is no disappointment. I had planned to buy the album purely on the strength of 'Into the Fire' but when it was postponed on Amazon my interest dwindled and as the second single 'Thru the Glass' didn't touch me in quite the same way, as their first release had...I foolishly decided not to risk purchasing such an unknown and previously unproven musical quantity. Not until it was given to me as a gift did I realise what I'd been missing out on.

For me this is a band that would be more seriously damaged by unfair comparisons than most- not only because the recognition they so rightly deserve is still shockingly not being paid to them, but also because very little on The Invitation is similar to ANYTHING else that was released around the same time or that's around at the moment. And without comparisons it's seriously hard to pinpoint exactly where Thirteen Senses deviate from their forebears. But suffice to say, this is an incredibly stylish collection of songs, each imbued with an extraordinary sincerity.

While the various aspects of all the songs fuse perfectly and deconstruction would be a little unfair to the band as a whole and this product of their souls - I must say that Will South has such an amazing voice, unlike anything I've heard before, for me it's a special voice and makes the songs that bit more emotional for me. Also, the tracks where the piano is allowed to dictate the tone and leads his haunting and earnest vocals into the poetry of the songs are for me the stand-out tracks on the album, songs like 'Into the Fire,' 'The Salt Wound Routine' and 'Undivided,' which rate among my favourites. But the first 5 tracks are definitely the ones to pay the closest attention to, trust me- you'll never hear their like again...

(1) 'Into The Fire'= Simply a superb start. Lyrics, vocals, instrumentation....all gel effortlessly and the result is mesmerizing.

(2) 'Thru The Glass'= The climbing from the wrecked car into a desolate landscape in the video was an excellent metaphor for this song. The lyrics are bitter, the guitar work harsh and piercing and the vocals straining, yet still this is an uplifting, musing melody, which only improves with repeated listens.

(3) 'Gone'= This has such a great introduction that delicately winds itself around corners and in circles, questioning and remarking on the experiences that shape us.

(4) 'Do No Wrong'= "...Satellites contain us, traffic lights control us..." Could it get any more insightful? Oh yes! The first line from this song struck a personal cord with me, as a monotonous, tormented beat drove home the profound message. Incredibly moving and perceptive stuff.

(5) 'The Salt Wound Routine'= Gosh, these lyrics are great. I won't give any away this time, but trust me...they're superb and the strings in accompaniment here mingling with the piano only compound the effect.

In summary...I accepted the Invitation, never once regretted it and now eagerly await the second instalment.

Stunning!!
I don't often write reviews but I felt I needed to for this album. Basically, its incredible! I bought it after hearing 'Thru the glass' somewhere. Personally I think this track is immense but the album even tops that. The opening 'Into the fire' gives you an idea of what to expect although not too many of the songs are as upbeat at this. Will South's voice is amazing. Although I'm a massive fan of Coldplay, Keane etc, i'd have to say that Thirteen Senses have the best vocalist of the lot. In way, the music is similar to both Coldplay and Keane although I'd possibly say they sound a like a mixture of these two with a helping of Snow Patrol and a sprinkling of a band called Longview (if you've heard of them). When you're listening to some of the tracks on here, it feels like your invading someones privacy and reading their every thought in their diary, the lyrics and melodies are so moving, no more so than on 'Saving'. This is a beautiful album and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who appreciates this type of music. I have no doubt that these boys are going to be big although at the same time, I don't want to share this album with everyone so god only knows why I'm writing this review. I'm just so annoyed that I didn't manage to get any tickets to see them on tour!