High Wire- Saint Bees
With debut single produced by Julian Simmons, previous producer for big names Guillemots and Midlake, The High Wire fail to make an impact the two names prior two did with their first releases, unfortunately the producer magic was unable to rub off and The High Wire left with a disappointing unveiling.
A mellow, less impressive Arcade Fire or Magic Numbers has been exposed in this single, failing miserably to grab my attention or even have me singing along at any point - this I must express is a rarity. The two tracks sound the same and even then merely provide entertainment worthy of elevators. The line between easy listening and boring has most definitely been crossed, and how debut single Saint Bees was voted on numerous occasions as a single of the week, month and in one case year, amazes me. Pleasant I guess but missing the wow factor that generally the victorious of these type of awards possess.
It's almost as though I could have written this, let alone sung both parts better. This isn't necessarily a criticism on the vocalists, but the song flatters neither. The band are currently based in a liquorice Allsorts factory- (influential or what?!) and playing festivals as big as Glastonbury across the country this year. It's possible I'm struggling to appreciate the hushed, relaxed sound this single can provide, but other acts in similar genres often catch my eye. Let's hope the follow up comes with a little more balls and the prime objective fails to follow the play it safe procedure.