Sonny Blue Eyes
Self Penned - Myke, Rob and Ailsa started writing music together in March 2008 and were swiftly joined by Iain Campbell. With Rob on riff infected acoustic guitar, Myke on catchy acoustic bass, Ailsa singing and writing melodies and lyrics, and Iain playing an ecelectic mix of percussion instruments, Sonny Blue Eyes quickly developed a unique and original sound. The music is all acoustic with no drums and the bell like percussion coupled with the rhythmic interweavings of the bass and guitar combine to create the perfect backing to soulful, ethereal vocals and poetic lyrics. The band find working and writing together refreshingly easy and tracks are created organically at rehearsals, evolving from improvisations and spontaneous ideas. In a few short months the band have recorded a 9 track EP, soon to be released and have written 10 songs and have already performed their first gig at the eponymous Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh. The band will be playing further gigs this year and aim to accomplish a mini tour of Europe in Autumn 2008.
Honey - Sonny Blue Eyes
Brought in by a great baseline and some fiddly guitar which is kept up for the duration of the song, with the song really built by the percussion and vocals. Unusual for an unsigned band to sound so polished and the addition of the percussion whilst a small touch puts this track at releasable quality and would need little work to transfer into a single release.
Waiting - Sonny Blue Eyes
Bit more uplifting intro to this track with the lyrical content the strong aspect of this tune. This song captivates in parts but fails to engage for the full track, long drawn out ending on a 2 and a half minute track should never be required and this could do with some beefing up. The problem being at live shows when your tracks are so short they tend to merge into one and lose their own identity.
Tango - Sonny Blue Eyes
Appropriately titled song for this melody, lyrically packed like a rush hour tube train. Sitting in a riverside cafe drinking some wine you can picture a scorned woman regretting the choices she has made trying to get it back. You get lost into this song which captivates and provokes emotion in the listener set upon a unique, to the amateur scene, sound.
Dogs - Sonny Blue Eyes
Straight out the traps this song is in your face with some variation on the vocal delivery giving a change of feel to this and gives you some catch your breath time. Very like some KT Tunstall tracks and definitely one to listen to if your a fan of hers. But for only under 2 minutes this delightful little song leaves you wanting more like a half poured measure this needs another minute before you would add it to your Ipod.
Verdict
Unique, diverse, clever use of percussion, vocally delivered like a high speed train and lyrically packed like a Rap tune. This is refreshingly professional and clever, thought has obviously been in abundance here and the ideas are coming out of the tracks thick and fast. Therein may lie the problem, this offering is as good as it is short, with lengthier songs and more time spent on each they would have a strong basis to build a tour and album, however difficult to see how a live audience would take to a thirty minute set where they would hear over 10 songs, may be overloading the audience slightly.
Links - Sonny Blue Eyes MySpace
Reviewed by Scottish Steve
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