Rock opera duo Tyneside Rain have released their concept album ‘Act One’, depicting the story of two brothers growing up in a rundown estate in Newcastle in 1967.
The duo, consisting of Darlington songwriters Roger Wicks and Sid Collumbine, have pressed on themes such as unemployment and crime for the album’s songs, many of which are sung by emerging singers Jodie Nicholson, Caitlin Morrow and Laura Morrison.
Opening track, ‘A Gun and a Girl’, featuring Jodie Nicholson, captures the forlorn but bewitching essence of the story with silvery vocals, expressive guitar playing and honest lyrics.
Second track, ‘The Other Side of Town’, is slightly twinklier and hopeful in tone. Both songs effortlessly capture the deprivation of a struggling 1960s North East: a situation at the heart of this promising album.
‘Act One’ is available now on all major online streaming platforms.
