September 28, 2014

High Hazels: High Hazels

Melodic pop from Sheffield. High Hazels have picked the baton from predecessors like The Coral and The Young Veins. With lead singer James Leesley and guitarist Scott Howes clamoring for attention, the rhythm section has to use a bit of force to get their moments in the spotlight. The Barlow brothers - Paul on drums and Anthony on bass - have an instantaneous rapport that's pretty rare in Britpop.

After releasing a couple of singles and an EP their self-titled full-length feels a bit uneven. The deceptive cheerful pop tunes of Valencia and Banging On My Door are enjoyable enough and Hanging Moon is a respectful nod to Echo and the Bunnymen. The upbeat lead single Misbehave has a hook that gets stuck in your head pretty damn quick. On the downside: it wasn't a particularly good idea to end the album with three slow songs in a row. The gentle, mostly Shy Tide is followed by the rather cheesy lyrics of Hearts Are Breaking and echo heavy vocals fail to add drama to The Promenade.

High Hazels:
James Leesley: vocals, guitar
Scott Howes: guitar
Paul Barlow: drums
Anthony Barlow: bass

High Hazels will be released on Heist or Hit Records. Release date: October 27th.

Tracks:
  1. Valencia
  2. Loneliness Inn
  3. Banging On My Door
  4. Night Song
  5. Hanging Moon
  6. Misbehave
  7. How Long’s It Gonna Be
  8. Shy Tide
  9. Hearts Are Breaking
  10. The Promenade

Live dates:
  • 11/02 Broadcast, Glasgow
  • 11/06 Gwdihw Cafe Bar, Cardiff
  • 11/08 Lennons (Club Psychedelia), Southampton
  • 11/11 The Cookie Jar, Leicester
  • 11/12 Tbc, London
  • 11/13 JT Soar, Nottingham
  • 11/20 Leadmill, Sheffield

» highhazels.com

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