The Reviews:
Matchstick Men –Acoustic Grooves To Soothe The Soul–:(3.5/6
for the electric 4/6 for the acoustic)
The originals:
In the era of wavering voices, it is refreshing to hear a
vocalist who isn't strictly
tenor but can still stretch into the tenor range without his voice
breaking. The vocals do go a little flat, but that works with the overall
sound. The background vocals work to round out the sound and serve to
complement the lead vocals.
The guitar work is catchy and has a delightful grind to it,
though I'm still not quite satisfied with the sound balance.
Overall, it was a good single
The acoustic versions:
I always brace myself for acoustic versions of any band’s
songs as it really distils their sound, especially the vocals, and can bring
out little problems that are not audible on the electronic versons. Matchstick Men does a great job and avoids
this problem. Their acoustic numbers
are, if anything, better than their electric stuff. I love the addition of the
electric bass it makes the vocals shine and emphasizes the acoustic guitar
work. I'm delighted by the versatility
of the lead singer’s voice and cannot wait to hear more. The only complaint I have is that the guitar
work is a little imprecise in places. However, I feel like that actually works with
their overall sound.
October Game––Balancing(4/6)
"I don't need your advice, i need your silence
instead"
Defiant, confidant lyrics, oddly simple sound or how layered
it actually is. Delightful bass work. THe lead singer’s throaty, ragged vocals
flex within a low tenor range that is nested in a musical sound that combines
industrial sensibilities with a hint of 80s flair. My only complaint about the
vocals is that the vocalist pushes his sound a too hard in places. Musically, my only issue is that the bass is
a too tight and focused in places.
At times the instrumentation is disorganized. If the music
itself was simplified a fraction these guys would have a really spectacular
sound.
Make no mistake, these guys are good, but I feel like
there's more there. I would love to hear a live track from these guys.
Released tracks below:
Traitors!–– Boys of the Double Cross EP––(2.5/6)
Traitors! are fun
and have a punk
core with a definitively British sound. The drum work is incredibly
solid. However, the vocals need to be
honed to really cement the punk sound. I would encourage the lead to really go
for broke in the punk sound and either blend in with the background vocals or
completely stand out, right now it's somewhere in the middle and that doesn't
work for their sound. Boys of the Double
Cross is an average EP and don't see a lot of potential in their
music.
