8

A band with a beautiful name

Haiku’s are funny things. For those of you that are unaware of the word, a haiku is poem, consisting of three lines; the first has five syllables, the second seven and the third five. For a band to be named after a word that on occasions can create quite beautifully crafted poems makes me think their music is going to of highly fashioned composure.

To be honest, much of the music is flown open to an acoustic setting, with the minimal of musical arrangements, yet still settles though an indie rock style. The music created for ‘Fan The Flames’ flow in similar melodies such as in ‘Freewhelin’ and ‘Not Enough People Are Wearing Hats’. However, most tracks have a touch of individuality to make they stand out. There is harmonica on ‘Throw Away’ and the metallic trembles that descend into the background of ‘Nerves On A Pin’.

Vocals on the album are pretty stationary throughout with the rare diverse sound every now and again. ‘Drink It Away’ and ‘Which Way To Go’ have a slight pop edge, then on ‘Blind Me Takes The Gun’ and ‘Sleazy Pop Song’ the harmonies tend to shine that bit brighter. The only concern I had with the vocals was on ‘Escape • Part 2 (Yours)’ as they seem to become too strong and over powered the rhythm of the track; a lighter attempt may have suited the song a little better.

Just as a haiku can say many things with just a few words, emotion tends to say a lot through this record and stands out particularly on two songs. ‘Little Bird’ gives me a sense of sorrow and is full of melancholy, but the real treat comes with ‘The News Is: The World Sucks’. With a title that is often very true, this upbeat song gives me a wider understanding of the band, with images of an individual walking through various scenes singing becoming quite impulsive.

You may expect some attempt of a haiku as I ended this review, well I tried, but those things are hard.