Album Review: Live for the Moment // The Sherlocks

Originally published on The Indiependent.

I must admit I did not go into Sheffield band, The Sherlocks, debut album Live For The Moment, with a particularly open-mind. Throughout their relative rise in popularity over the last two years I have happened across their singles in sponsored Facebook posts that appear to have been met with hype and derision in equal measure. It is certainly true that the young band have managed to build quite an impressive indie following through social media campaigns, no doubt inspired by the grassroots, youthful energy of fellow Sheffield band, Arctic Monkeys. That band has probably inspired most guitar rock bands over the last decade in some way but their legacy here mostly spans from their early albums. Another band that The Sherlocks can all too easily be compared to are Manchester’s Courteeners. Indeed, my initial stance on the band was essentially; they’re not going to make my ears bleed but they sound exactly like any number of other bands that I could listen to instead.

Mystery Jets Interview

Originally published in the Nov 2016 edition of The Hullfire.

I met with guitarists and vocalists William Rees and Blaine Harrison of the Mystery Jets before their gig on the 4th October at Welly. The Mystery Jets, originally from Eel Pie Island in London, are a stalwart of the Noughties British Indie scene, first putting out music in 2005 around the same time, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party and others were releasing their debuts. Their rise might not have been quite as astronomical but they have a dedicated fan base, and a unique story that sets them apart from your average indie rock band. Not to mention a roster of incredible songs to boot. Their latest album The Curve of The Earth is epic and experimental that could be deemed a cult classic in years to come. Over the course of nine tracks it treads heady ground lyrically and musically but still manages to come back to the family oriented and homely feel of the London band and their ethos.

What has been your experience of Hull?

Blaine: “We’ve played here a lot, stretching right back to our first tour where we played in this venue with Bloc Party in 2005. Bloctober, it [the tour] was called. We’ve played Adelphi, we’ve played Fruit.”

Album Review: Ellipsis // Biffy Clyro

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Biffy Clyro have reached the distinguished milestone of their seventh album and with it is the beginning of a new cycle in the band’s life. Biffy Clyro by their own admission are a band who embrace the three album cycle, in which there is a simple stylistic or thematic similarity grouping the trilogy together. The band has suggested that Ellipsis is the beginning of a ‘re-birth’, a back to basics embrace of chaos.

Frontman Simon Neil has called it ‘fight rock, pint-in-the-face rock’. This claim is certainly true of some songs and the album has a feeling of different pieces being thrown together, albeit in a good way. However the glimmer of pop on many of the tracks and the undeniable production values present suggest otherwise. At times it is unclear what direction Biffy are really trying to take with this album.

Single Review: The Hubbards // Cold Cut

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Hull band The Hubbards have become one of the biggest bands in the area over the last couple of years and have an impressive EP already out, which has got them airplay on Radio 1 and BBC 6 music. Latest single ‘Cold Cut’ finely tunes their underrated abilities into their best song yet.

The layers of accomplished guitar work that has been present in all their music so far is also present here with a reserved, jazzy intro leading into the energetic verse and chorus. ‘Cold Cut’ is full of intricacies that could go unnoticed, as the song is so catchy and danceable (as is shown in the humorous music video).

Clean Cut Kid Interview

Originally published in The Hullfire.

Clean Cut Kid are a band from Liverpool with a handful of singles out that have brought them swift recognition within the indie sphere as a one of the next big things. Singles like ‘Vitamin C’ and recent release ‘Pick Me Up’ show their exciting and diverse talent, and colourful personality inherent in their music. They supported Fickle Friends on the Hull leg of their tour at Fruit on Monday 7^th March. Tim and Ben from Hullfire radio show Alternative Agenda chatted to Mike and Evelyn Halls, Saul Godman and Ross Higginson of the band after their set.

Alternative Agenda: Fronteers Interview

Interviewed Hull band Fronteers, along with Hullfire podcast Hybrid, before their support slot for Pretty Vicious on 28th November at Welly. They’re a great bunch of lads and they’re definitely going places, making a name for the Hull music scene in the process. We played their single ‘It’s up to me now’ on the show the other week!

Alternative Agenda: Pretty Vicious Interview

I interviewed the Welsh band Pretty Vicious for Alternative Agenda on Hullfire Radio, before their gig at Welly. We talk about the rising popularity of the band which has included support slots with the likes of the Vaccines. There are also interesting stories about gigs they’ve played, from Cardiff Castle to Japan and also their experience of playing in Paris on the night of the terrorist attacks. The interview is below.

Album Review: The Making Of // The Bohicas

Originally posted on The Indiependent.

The Bohicas of Essex have released what seems like the extent of their simple, sharp and on the whole satisfying indie rock and roll in debut album The Making Of. They have made their presence known on the indie scene for the past year with singles like ‘Swarm’ and ‘Where You At’ and appear to be on a similar path to British rock bands of recent years such as Catfish and the Bottlemen and Circa Waves. On the surface The Bohicas’ music has a similar swagger and home grown confidence to even the likes of Arctic Monkeys or Kasabian and the band has the style to match, but dig deeper and it unfortunately lacks the lyrical quality or character

Album Review: Undertow // Drenge

Originally posted on The Indiependent.

Drenge’s self-titled first album granted the Derbyshire two piece success at the head of a wave of similar blues inspired rock bands in the past few years. This has since been surpassed by the almost stratospheric rise of the equally loud Royal Blood, but their growing popularity has left them with the option to evolve their sound into an even stronger follow up record after a year on tour. Drenge, whilst introducing the Loveless brothers’ sound and song writing capabilities, was perhaps confined to a roster of angst driven, grungy garage tracks. Undertow has gone far and beyond this with a more expansive, ordered and flowing record.

Album Review: The Mindsweep // Enter Shikari

Originally posted on The Indiependent.

The Mindsweep is the genre defying Enter Shikari’s 4^th album and definitely their most expansive and accomplished. The St Albans quartet here showcase an eclectic mix of more intimate and stirring pieces, which surfaced on their previous album, and the rage and pounding beats and riffs that are characteristic of their music. Here they take this mix one step further and whilst this is largely an achievement in many places it can also be the albums main drawback. Equally characteristic of the band are the themes present in frontman Rou’s lyrics, for this is no less an album with a clear focus on political and social struggle and change.