As much as it pains me, I’ll admit that I once thought of The Nobility as “The Features Lite†– a slightly lesser version of everyone’s favorite four piece. Having listened to Ashford Castle a multitude of times now, I can be man enough to admit that my quick pigeonholing of their sound was a callous and shortsighted call.Â
Having been a band for fifteen some odd years, it’s clear that the band has found their confidence and knows how to execute exactly what they do well. There’s Beach Boy level harmonies, heartbreaking melancholy ballads and undeniable pop gems peppered throughout the record. It’s actually hard to determine exactly which of those styles they excel more at.Â
If you haven’t dug your teeth into this record yet, fire up “On the Sly†and just try not to play it more than thrice.Â