Said Mike - Stop The Clocks
This five piece synth-rock band from South Wales has merged a mix of genres together to form ‘Stop The Clocks’.
There are five tracks here and each is either inspired by or touches upon imperative subject matter like bullying, drug abuse and frustration as well as more enjoyable themes of relationship, love and parting. Anthemic vocals are present quite a bit and are noticeable specifically on ‘Mind Over Matter’, which brings back memories of being on the open road. The vocals suit each track very well; intense at times (‘Let Yourself Go’), not stopping for breath (‘Stop The Clocks’) while also sending shivers through you.
This release is bursting with hooks and riffs, which pulsate through you (‘Heads Down Check It Out’). Some are very frantic while others like the title track have central instrumentals sitting perfectly between one climaxing point and another. The stop-start guitars of ‘Let Yourself Go’ are jumpy and those of ‘Sister Mary’ are a fundamental element in pounding through your ears and down to your toes.
‘Stop The Clocks’ was a great release of emotion after a long day at work.