Although it's hardly fair to judge a band by their press release, it's equally hard to ignore a group of individuals whose preoccupations (song-wise, at least) include 7 Foot transvestites. Makes a change from yer average indie fare, eh?
Well, OK, maybe this should be swallowed with a large, economy spoon of salt, but BLIND EYE VIEW'S debut EP "Perfume" does contain a couple of reasons to prick up he ears, if not quite don the full drag queen regalia and go stepping out.
Certainly, BEV have a penchant for knocking out the kind of plaintive, no-nonsense guitar tunes Northern Irish troupes have excelled at in the past, and while your reviewer would be pressed to describe this 5-tracker as original or earth-shattering, he would like to make further enquiries in time.
Admittedly, the quality's a bit variable. Both "What We Lost In The Process" and "Healthy" have a good stab at urgency in the guitar department, but lose ground thanks to rushed and jumbled performances that try too hard. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with these songs, but they wouldn't stand too far apart from many other identikit indie guitar warriors either.
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"Perfume," though - featured here as a radio edit and in its' full-length incarnation - is far more like it. It's got a nice line in snappy chord changes, neat backing vocal interjection and allows singer Simon Kelly some space to lay down a fine vocal. It reminds a little of SEAFOOD'S recent work (a compliment, lads - don't panic) and makes a stronger case for BLIND EYE VIEW as future contenders.
Even better, though, is "Poser", which (at least partly) appears to be about God giving up smoking. Guest Lyndsay Jones' elegant violin is a welcome colouring agent, and the semi-acoustic backdrop and rising chorus suggest BEV can master dynamics happily.
There's unquestionably room for improvement here, but BLIND EYE VIEW are worth keeping in mind. At present, "Perfume" may only be a faint whiff, but who knows: it could lead to the sweet smell of success in time.
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