Glorious Smart Indie
Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silence are turning indie music on its head with their darkly comic tales which have already made them a favourite on student and national radio. The group's second single, 'I Believe In Karma' is a frantic rock tune with gruff rock power and the lyrical prowess of Eddie Argos mixed with Jarvis Cocker that discusses the difficulties of being the perfect guy, "I just want the things I've been working for/I believe in karma, I just want the reward", calls Hawkins with characteristic cool.
B-side, 'My Darling Frankenstein' is a sly and sultry work of genius with jaunty rhythm regaling us with the tale of a man who literally recreates past girlfriends. As you can imagine it's a dark tune, but riddled with tongue in cheek fun and backed by a smooth keyboard and guitar work and percussion that quivers in all the right places.
Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences will probably be one of those bands who become adored on the indie scene but never reach further than this because it's the unusual nature of their music that makes them so appealing. In any case, they definitely deserve a listen and if they carry half of the energy of this record onto the stage, the live shows must be equally impressive.