The Sheffield Scenester

Everything about this band I can read/listen to/look at is cool! Until receiving this single to review I’m sad to say I’d never heard of them but after listening to this (the band’s EP release,‘The Look/Stare to Declare’ was released in March 2010 and both songs were featured on BBC programme Waterloo Road!), I can safely say I’ll be following their progress from now on. Hailing from Leeds & York, this dynamic, forward thinking four piece create a sound all of their own, all four members excel in their own fields creating the sort of tunes you’d love to bang on whilst having a JD and getting ready for a night out.

The front cover catches your attention straight away (as I’m sure you will have already noticed!) and discovering that you can download the single for free from the groups Bandcamp page can only be classed as a bonus. The two tracks were both produced and mixed by James Kenosha, and then mastered by Tim Turan.

When I first put on the single ‘Huh Her’ I was amazed with the quality of the overall sound/production. It’s clean, clear, and very present in it’s all round vibe. Lead singer Carly Humphries has an amazing soulful voice, and the funkiness of the bass line throughout the track provided by Ralph adds another massive element. When the guitars and drums kick in the sound goes huge and you can’t help but wonder why these four are not bigger than they already are. There’s a clever layering of backing vocals throughout which again combine to thicken up the sound and a slight distortion on the main vocal track add another interest. In fact the vocal on this one reminds me of the track ‘You’re Not Alone’ which was released back in the nineties by Sheffield band Olive.

Second track ‘Please/Please’ is more indie orientated than ‘Huh Her’, at the risk of upsetting the band there are elements of Muse in the bass line, which provides a clever constant behind a beat perfect, crisp, clear drum track. Drummer Matthew Bradley should be chuffed with his work here. Another enchanting vocal from Carly falls perfectly in and out with the stop/start style of this tune which is again testament to the quality musicianship on show. If there is any fault at all in my opinion, this track in particular could benefit from a guitar solo, nothing too epic but just a bit of something in there would have made the tune even more spell bounding. Regardless of my opinion here though, this band deserve to move up to the next level with this single.

Anyone who reads this and doesn’t take advantage of the free download is a fool!

Words by James Whitworth