Run Speed Tiger/Shakey Hands - RST/SH split
The imaginatively named RST/SH Split is - wait for it - a split single between West Yorkshire based folk bands Run Speed Tiger and Shakey Hands (see where they got the name from now?).
The first half is Run Speed Tiger's lovely, melodic brand of folk pop. It's unarguable that folk pop has been becoming something of a trend lately - Mumford & Sons are, of course, the first band that spring to mind - and a lot of new bands seem to be recycling the same ideas and styles. Run Speed Tiger, I'm pleased to say, don't. That's not to say that they're something completely different, of course not. But everything about their contribution to the album seems fresh and striking. It's definitely a step away from the tired and generic content that can sometimes pervade the genre.
There's lots about Run Speed Tiger to enjoy. There's a dreamy, relaxed feel to the songs and although the lyrics are simple, it works. They're heartfelt and real, and not suffering from any delusions of pretension. The songs do tend to run on the longer side of things - Parents clocking in at four and a quarter minutes - but they never seem to drag on. Indeed, there's very little to find fault with in this offering from the Leeds quartet. Fans of Sufjan Stevens and Neutral Milk Hotel in particular are sure to like it.
Shakey Hands swing into action with the call to arms on Giant Hangover, insisting that "when you're young you shout that'll never be me/but you're never the person you thought you'd turn out to be." A crashing of drums instigates the rest of the song, and the beat picks up. While louder than Run Speed Tiger, and in no danger of being called dreamy, Shakey Hands still make it an easy transition from one half of the album to the other.
The slightly slurred vocals on Speaking to my Sister are a little off-putting and don't quite seem to work. While it's a daring approach to chop and change between the slower, slurred parts and the crashing, noisier bits, the song feels almost like it can't quite make up its mind what to be. It's difficult to get a handle on, although shouldn't be ruled out entirely. Perhaps it's a grower.
Comparisons are difficult to draw between the two, and there's no doubt that both bands are shining examples of fresh young talent. This record should stay on repeat for a while.