8mm - Opener EP
No wonder this band has been attracting full attention on the other side of the Atlantic. Sean Beavan (producer of such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Marylin Manson, Depeche Mode or System of a Down), shows us that he is able to write lyrics and music that are not only beautiful, but also extremely sensual.
The female voice is Beavan wife's one. She has been chosen at the very last moment without him knowing whether or not she could sing. He has been searching for a female voice and could not wait any longer, well, he had a pleasant surprise and so will you if you listen to the EP. For someone who has never sung before, she is doing a brilliant job!
Their music is a mixture of Portishead's vocals, with Juliette having the striking and hypnotising voice of Beth Gimpson and Massive Attack's electronic music. If you had to resume "Opener", the first thing that comes to your mind is that it is an excellent EP to chill out to. There might not be a big difference between each track, but surprisingly you don't get any sense of boredom or monotony.
Whether you listen to 'Opener', 'Save Yourself', 'Never Enough' or any of the other tracks, the atmosphere is just the same, very cool and quiet. But if you pay attention to the lyrics, you will travel from a broken hearted person in 'Opener' to the very, very sensual 'Crawl'. There is no mess; it is kept clear, pure and simple.
Unfortunately there are only six tracks, so you can not get a total overview of what they can do. So let's wait for the album to come out!
Hopefully the band will be back soon in the UK and perform and to show if they are as good live as on the CD. If the quality of their sound stays the same, they will surely get the same recognition as Portishead or Massive Attack.