A new EP from Glasgow five-piece Hairband, formed in 2016 from members of many existing bands on the local DIY/Indie scene.
1. Bee Beginning with voices buzzing (of course) the band then set up a sparse rolling groove with angular spiky guitar (sharing an alternative universe with fellow residents Television, Gang Of Four and more recently Shopping). The dual vocal lines interweave smoothly with reassurance for the threatened species ‘….honey, I promise it’s gonna be alright….’
2. Bubble Sword The jazzy bass leads this track, not sure what the lyrical message is but the riff rocks along with conviction.
3. Flying Atmospheric, impressionistic piece ‘….thank you gravity for all you’ve done for me but don’t let me go….’, you can lose yourself in this one as the guitars combine, the bass has that insistent tone again and the drumming is nicely forward in the mix.
4. White Teeth Supergrass may have the most famous passing dental musical references in ‘It’s Alright’ but this is a whole song about them ‘….your teeth glisten in the sun….so white…very, very clean…’, as a way of conjuring up a lingering memory of a current or lost relationship? It is my favourite track; with a rock-solid bass, ringing guitar line and haunting vocals.
5. Sassy Moon The longest track on the EP, a steadily building, unrelenting brew featuring many of the elements from the previous tracks. Solo vocal lines are punctuated by the chorus ‘…how do you feel, how do you feel about the moon…’ then as a surprise the song begins to speed up and enters another level.
The whole EP has a sharp as-live sound, with a sparkling uncluttered production…
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