aaamusic | On 08, Feb 2011

Desire on a short leash, debut album of the London-based band The Guilty Hands, opens with the best track of the whole album and it can be very dangerous, because expectations for what will come after definitely shoot up. Razor is a tune that contains everything, love for cinema and art , for 80s new wave and sounds, mixed in a real original way, synths twang with pleasure on the background where the singer’s voice holds centre stage reaching sensual high notes in falsetto, supported by martial choirs a la Frankie goes to Hollywood, it’s a work of art.

After that the listener won’t be bored because these guys composed eleven different track even if each of them has got their unmistakable mark, very remarkable for a brand new band.

If we want to define their genre, it’s obviously indie-rock, but it’s permeated by dark-gloomy-dance atmosphere, a mix between Franz Ferdinand and White Lies. Gregory’s arrangement is almost pop with that section of strings, making the tune half lyrical- half an Italian pop song.

One of the stand out tracks on the album is Guilty Hands, a song that sounds like a mix of Temper Trap and Placebo. With highly descriptive lyrics, and the pace constantly building, shooting into a faster beat, this song is the most energetic on the album and succeed in masking its halo of masochism with a fast-paced sonic tapestry.

While The wilder shores of love is a ballad going in a rock crescendo, The collector is an electro song that could be a soundtrack for a horror movie, shrill synths and organs, the only missing instrument is a theremin.

Their music is characterised by dark cabaret atmospheres as well, it’s so full of inspirations so well blended that it’s really surprising.

Up On the Hill (No.42), has already found success, probably the one of the most eerie tracks on the album and again another memorable one. The song that is about a suspected child abuser setting himself alight, but despite the disturbing theme of the song it is quite a powerful track.

Black Doves deserves a mention because it’s completely different from the rest, it ends the album leaving a sweet and melancholic taste of a ballad probably inspired by Jeff Buckley.

The only advice I can give is to listen to this album again and again because you will always find something you haven’t heard or realized before, a great debut album.

The Guilty Hands is a London-based band that was formed in 2008. The members consist of Gareth Moss (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, programming), Paul Cox (drums, percussion, backup vocals), and Martin Allan Grey (guitars, violins, backup vocals). Gareth and Paul have played together since their school days, while Martin drifted from band-to-band prior to joining up with them. Their soon to be released Desire On A Short Leash was entirely produced, mixed, engineered and recorded by the band members using funds submitted by fans at Welcome to Slicethepie. They have posted a video for ‘Razor,’ a single from the album, which will acquaint you with their style of music.

Author: Roberta Capuano