Bear in mind that your reviewer's approaching this single with bugger all information to hand (i.e no press release and little sleeve information other than a fetching picture of a trowel on the label), but whatever: WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS are one of the better enigmas currently residing in a built up area at present.
The only other thing I presently know about them is that their songwriter is called Ben Smith, but whoever he is, he knows his soddin' onions as "Sleight Of Hand" is a truly intriguing calling card.
How so? OK, well how about sleigh bells, tambourines, ominously circling pianos and stained glass organ all conjuring up a low-watt Phil Spector effect. Or the fact that there appears to be NO guitars present whatsoever, 'cept a brooding bassline. Or the strange, mid-fi sound, with more than just a touch of winter creeping in. And those lyrics: "streets paved with glass.....under a blanket he wears as a target" and that chorus of "watch out for the sleight of hand." Hmm...what are they talking about: David Blaine's magicianship? Wigan RL's tactical approach? Anything seems possible round here, and it's all rather attractive.
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The B-side continues with a similar fagged-out, melancholic approach, though this time the guitarist has broken free from being locked in the bog and celebrates by adding some cute arpeggios and going for a weird grungey burn after the line: "what do you see? Don't turn on me." Good, and as a B-side, thoroughly ruddy excellent.
No doubt these chancers will be publicly unmasked before long, but one thing's for sure: these Builders come bearing sound architectural plans and wielding tools you can trust.
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