May 68 refers to a massive protest movement that occurred in France in May 1968 (of course) that marked a decisive shift towards a more sexually, spiritually, equality driven liberal society. For this Manchester band it’s a decisive statement. Where most modern electro-pop bands look back to New Order for inspiration, May 68 set their gaze towards a more continental pop style, which makes for a refreshing change. Also, it’s clear that they are not making music for a cerebral experience. Instead they want their fans to don the brightest, spangliest clothes and dance to their hearts’ content.
Great, that’s something I can really enjoy. The electro beat is awesome, and smashes into the chorus with satisfying aplomb. However, “My Ways” is a little bit too beat heavy having all the delicacy of an elephant kicking the shit out of a meerkat. I think the reason for this is that the mixer realised that the vocals were a little bit on the weak side, and decided to cover it up by over-amplifying the track’s strongest elements the beat and synth parts, making for a slightly lop-sided experience.
That aside this is an incredibly promising track from a band with great potential not yet realised.
Release Date 29/03/2010 (Hit Club Records)
I started out writing for the Manchester Evening News as a freelance journalist back in 2008. The idea that I would be given free access to music and gigs seemed somehow miraculous to me, and I proceeded to take full advantage of the situation. When the M.E.N. decided to constrict its coverage to only the very biggest bands, Simon Poole approached me with a plan to make sure that all the very talented musicians of this world that pass through and/or live in Manchester would not go unnoticed. As the New Releases editor here at Silent Radio Towers, it remains my proud duty to cast a critical eye over the music and reviews that come my way in a manner that is both supportive and fair. Above all, I strive to write as entertainingly possible. Favourite musicians include the Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Mercury Rev, Os Mutantes, The Knife, Beach House etc etc. I'm a firm believer that all genres (except nu-metal) contain music of great quality...
