Here's a passionate single from Leeds' XI. Teamed up with "Under My Feet" and a rasping cover of BILLY IDOL'S "Rebel Yell", "Low" is a classically machined piece of rock tunage.
The recording and production values are faultless. XI are such a tight band that they don’t need any sonic camouflage. They don’t get any. The sound is big, bright and loud. The whole thing's up and roaring from the first hit. Singer Daz has a steady, note perfect voice that rings as loud as you like. He never swerves or dips. Guitarist Flimsy John scorches through heroic riffs and fills that keep the songs flying at the top of the mix. Bill's bass and Doink's drums (I'm not making these names up!) are rhino-sized and fully trained. Legge's subtle keyboards keep the texture rich with no trace of pseudo-orchestral pissing about.
"Under My Feet" is double quick, urgent and delicate – in the tough way that only heaviness can be delicate. Cinematic is a strange word in the context – but extra voices and a real story create an internal video that cries out to be made. So, cinematic it is.
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"Rebel Yell" is a cracker. Guitar and voice stand brilliant and glistening – the subtlety of the band and the mix make that happen. Daz's voice takes on a resonance and depth that make it his song as long as he's singing it. Like all the best covers it makes the point that the band's own songs are in the right weight division.
Can rock still be made without irony, spandex and cheese? It can now. Visit www.xi-uk.com
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