Review of 'You Would Run' - PLUGGED IN MAGAZINE
The boys and girl return with their new single that is nothing but spellbinding. With its piano opener the layers of music develop into a military-style beat of a march that has a full on sing-along chorus. Every element of greatness is there, intending the listener to hold their attention to the very last bar. Highly creative music indeed.
Darren Warner
PLUGGED IN MAGAZINE
Review of Broken City Skyline at Barfly
The ironic thing with tonight’s gig was that this was to be the last time I would visit the Barfly before the management shut the doors to the Cardiff music scene. Of course, this was not apparent at the time Sierra Alpha hit the stage to play a tight set of their jazzed up indie rock that has hints of the Blow Monkeys about then, only much harder. Giving us a number of new songs they not only played well, they sounded like a band that have something new to add to the music scene, especially with numbers like I See the Light. Next up is favourites of PLUGGED IN, The Last Republic who literally destroy the Barfly with a brilliantly pounding performance that shattered the glasses throughout the room. Nothing seemed wrong, everything was right with this band – tight, sting songs, compulsive performance. I hadn’t seen them play for a year or so prior to this gig, and boy had I missed them. Superb stuff. To follow two string acts for and aspiring band like Broken City Skyline music actually be quite daunting, but they took the bull by the horns and exploded onto the stage giving a set of excellently considered pieces of music. Tonight was their celebration of the release of their new single (reviewed on page 45) You Would Run and that track stood out as an accomplished piece of song writing. Dewi Bowen, who, although hidden behind a set of keyboards while singing, captured the audience with his unique vocal performanm and held them till the end of the set. This band is on the way up people – you need to check them out!
Darren Warner
PLUGGED IN MAGAZINE
Review of 'You Would Run' - UK Music Review 8.5/10
"Made up of brothers Alun, Dewi and Marc Bowen alongside friend Danni Kennedy, Broken City Skyline are a Welsh outfit specialising in emotive indie rock designed to pull on the heartstrings. Creating a noise that trends towards the epic at all times, Broken City Skyline imagine an angst ridden jam session between Mogwai, Far, Sigur Ros and The Verve; Dewi Bowen delivering fragile vocal plaintives against a continually swelling backdrop of militaristic drum beats, melodramatic piano chords and spiraling post rock guitar work.
YOU WOULD RUN, the quartets latest single, following a handful of Eps since 2006 is one of those slow burning but ultimately majestic sounding affairs, melodies only truly making their presence clear after repeated listens, Broken City Skyline a band for whom atmosphere seemingly beats out immediacy.
They may take a while to take hold, but make no mistake, Broken City Skyline are an outfit crafting epic, majestic indie rock here; YOU WOULD RUN, a painfully brief but wholly satisfying experience to behold."
Mike Bond
UK Music Review (Go see review)
Review of 'You Would Run' - Alter The Press! 3.5/5
Broken City Skyline's latest single "You Would Run" is a sweet, pianoand acoustic song that hits you where it matters; Your heart. It starts off lightly. The lyrics get you: "close your eyes. be brave...I won't let you fall through my arms. Take a chance. Take a look."
Sean Reid
Alter The Press! (Go see review)
Review of 'You Would Run' from The Miniature Music Press
These Bridgend Indie-popsters have not disappointed with their most recent recorded offering. Heavily piano-led, this anthemic song avoids being cheesy, and the delicate use of guitar gives them a mature and thoughtful sound. The track is well crafted, with multiple climaxes, changes in mood and tempo and well executed use of military style drums (more subtle that Coldplay!) The trumpet in the outro was a risky decision as a new addition, and unfortunately the intonation issues here leave the ending of the song slightly flat. That being said, this is a great song and we look forward to their forthcoming album.
Cay - The Miniature Music Press
Review of 'You Would Run' - Get Ready to Rock! 3*
"The latest single from up and coming Welsh band Broken City Skyline deploys an early U2-esque beat to underscore their subtle blend of accessible pop rock.
With 3 EPs and a number of singles already under their belt Broken City Skyline could well be the next name to break out of the Welsh borders and take the UK mainstream by storm."
Pete Whalley
"A band that graces our Rising Talent pages in this issue, Broken City Skyline, release the single City Lights, (Buy) a competent piece of melodic pop/rock that has a strong sing-along factor about it. Strong stuff that proves these guys are at the forefront of new music that is coming out of Wales."
Darren Warner
Plugged in Magazine
Review of The Loft, Swansea gig (25/03/10)
"Surprise guests Broken City Skyline played piano pop which sounded atmospheric like Coldplay and energetic like Supergrass. The singer sang like Danny O`Donoghue from The Script and the songs sounded playful like The Hoosiers."
Ted Robinson
Feedback Magazine
Alter The Press! - 4.5/5
"With a strong driving piano, “City Lights” (Buy) is a sweet tune that one can get mesmerized in. “Tonight is all we have,” reminds singer Dewi Bowen. The melodies and steady piano dominate the song, but the guitar sounds great, as well. The band have large melodies that sounds like it would radiate well live.
The band features the Bowen brothers (Alun, Dewi, and Marc) who together with friend Danni provide a pleasant, yet upbeat song that maintains a consistent sound. In the end, the song comes together nicely. This Bridgend based band have that piano-rock sound that's undeniably good if you like Coldplay."
Margarita Morales
Alter The Press!
Go see the review
"More forward thinking pop next in the form of BCS. Piano-led, and with a unnerving sense of space, this is
majestic skyscraper power-pop with real widescreen ambition, for those who expected more from Snow Patrol
since Starfighter Pilot et al."
"...set out to prove that piano led indie-pop doesn't have to have the schmaltz of Keane, or the U2
pretensions of recent-day Coldplay, Broken City Skyline instead marrying the wonky quirks of a prime
time Ben Folds, with stadium-deserving choruses like that of The Reason (Buy), a soaring, dream-pop wonder
of no little sentiment that'd leave Athleate cursing into their Gideon's bibles."
Robbie Edward - Journalist
NME/The Fly/Venue Magazine
"These indie kids have been going for about three years and have improved with age. Third track on the EP,
So Low (Buy) , is a stunning piano-driven track which makes you want to hear more from these guys. The effect
they have on the vocals makes me think I am listening to them playing in an empty hall, but this effect
gives off an anthemic feel to the songs"
Gary Bolsom - PLUGGED IN MAGAZINE
"I Tunes is lucky enough to have Broken City Skyline debut E.P on sale, wonderfully built up of 4 tracks
each as soothing and thoughtful as the other as a 4 piece soft-core rock band from Bridgend ‘Broken City
Skyline’ have put so much effort into this and it truly shows, the melodies give a sense of intimacy though
as you listen through all the tracks, specially on the last track ’It’s so dark on the outside’ (Buy) the beat
begins to pick up yet it doesn’t seem to loose it’s intimacy, this is a truly incredible E.P which you
should definitely think about buying from I Tunes"
Louise Draper - STAGE FRIGHT REVIEWS
Get ready to ROCK - 3 * (City Lights)
"Broken City Skyline, a band of brothers plus friend Danni on bass from the valleys serve up an almost
Springsteen-esque sound on this self penned, produced and packaged single that’s available for download on
iTunes, Amazon etc.
City lights does indeed have many of the hallmarks of the Boss’s Born To Run output - especially the piano
lines running over the chorus guitar chords. All they need is a decent studio / producer and Clarence Clemons
to add a few sax runs.
Yet another sign that rock is alive, and well, and living in Wales."
Pete Whalley - Get ready to ROCK
Go see the review