HOOKWORMS- MICROSHIFT
The advent of using synths in Indie Rock is nothing new, its popularity seemed to rise in conjunction with skinny jeans and I often wonder if there’s a correlation between the amount of bands like Everything Everything and Friendly Fires who howl their lyrics and the ‘close crotch’ of tight jeans.
With that in mind, enter: Hookworms. I don’t know if they wear tight jeans but they do have synths and shreiky vocals in abundance. Both of which, when used sporadically can be effective and appropriate but, when used too much, can be annoying. Getting the balance right is something which Hookworms have largely done well.
The opening track, Negative Space, asks ‘how long’s forever?’ in a suitably angst ridden tone but yet the music around it is full of positivity. But there’s no denying its catchiness and I can’t help but like it. However, for me, there’s a creeping sense in tracks such as Static Resistance where the music is perky and the lyrics are morose, that it’s a little disingenuous or at the very least incongruous.
Obviously incongruity can provide bittersweet love songs and it is a welcome antidote to bread and butter heartbreak songs but, at times, it can also seem a little…. vacuous. However doubts about Hookworms integrity are dispelled with Boxing Day a two minute whirl of all the elements which make up Hookworms sound, shaken up a bit. It’s less neat than their other songs and therefore a lot more emotive.
The moments in Microshift where they don’t over egg the synth pudding, to make neat catchy tracks are my favourite moments it’s when they sound most unique and different from their tight jean counterparts.
Release Date 2nd February 2018 (Domino Records)
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When people ask me what music I am in to, I find it very hard to give a definitive answer because, throughout my life I have been in to all kinds of music from House to Heavy Metal. So I can safely say I am open to most things however, I would say that overall my allegiances lie with Electronic music because it covers so many genres and is constantly developing and changing. Having grown up in Manchester my musical tastes have been influenced by nights such as Electric Chair and Mr Scruff which encompasses the sounds of House, Detroit Techno, Disco, Soul, Funk and Hip Hop. As far as bands are concerned, I particularly like bands that are melodic and have a hook and a heart such as Wild Beasts. While living in London in the early noughties, I was also listening to music that didn’t really have a heart, more of a pacemaker. I was listening to Electroclash at nights such as Erol Alkan’s, Trash. I love writing about music and believe you can be honest about why you don’t like something without being disrespectful, a skill I am still learning in real life! But ultimately I understand that music needs to be experienced first, rather than intellectualised but why do one, when you can do both?
