Single Review by Mark Bayross
Six By Seven’s new single helpfully lists on its inner sleeve “ten places to die”, although I’m not sure that “picking apples from a tree” is still punishable by death these days.
Anyway, the song isn’t bad at all. It’s a satisfying marriage of feedback-drenched minor chords and menacing bass, offset by singer Chris Olley’s falsetto. Sounds like Placebo? Well, yes, a little, but it’s darker and devoid of Brian Molko’s irritating twang.
ENGLAND AND A BROKEN RADIO is a rather pretty ballad, with chiming guitars and compressed vocals, while EUROPEAN ME sees the effects pedals return in force, with wah-wah guitars and feedback swamping muted, distorted vocals. At over seven minutes long, it is loud and melodic and reminds me of some of the early nineties bands like Catherine Wheel or My Bloody Valentine.
Finally, HELDEN is taken from a Peel Session and is a cover of Bowie’s “Heroes”… sung in what sounds like Swedish.
Their second album should hit the shelves early next year. On the strength of these four tracks, it looks promising.
