The first thing that struck m about this debut single from Essex and London-based six-piece was the brightness of the production. Don’t get me wrong: I like treble. I’d even include The Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Psychocandy’ in my all-time top 50 albums. I also like big snare sounds. But the context is everything. This is an Indie / Rock / Pop setting, the kind of thing that favours a smoother, more balanced overall sound. Instead, I’m battered with a snare the size of an oil tanker, Eq’d to a point that, frankly, hurts.
None of the component parts meld together to form a unified whole. The bass is altogether distinct from the guitars, and the cymbals slice the top off your head. It’s not that they’re high in the mix. But there’s the rub, and the clue’s in the name: mix. The elements don’t mix, but sit separately yet concurrently. This treatment does the vocals of sisters Natalie and Joanna Jones no favours whatsoever either. Which is a pity, as they go all out on these two punchy indie / rock / pop numbers with great gusto, and it’s a fine delivery, clean yet solid and well-suited to the material.
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No, they’re not the laid-back version of The Gossip they may claim in the press release: the material’s actually much better, and not nearly as laid back as all that – there’s no shortage of energy in these two numbers ('Here & Winning' and 'Running Scared'). But oh, if only the production and mixing was better! I get a distinct feeling that there’s some considerable potential gone unfulfilled here.
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