HIM

Many in high places are not well

H.I.M. are one of those bands that are always on the lookout for something to add to their character as a group and that’s why they’re probably not that well known. There’s a Finnish group of the same name and they get a lot more coverage on the box, radio and in music mags. We lean more towards Chicago and the multiple jagged rhythms of H.I.M. Doug Scharin is the main man at the helm in this band that have been offering us the results of their experiments for the last seven years. The group has masterfully jigged its way through the rhythms as dub, jazz, pop, rock, electronica…and improvisation has always been a vital element to their music. Their new LP “Many in high places are not well” sees them stray further off the beaten path of standardised music and it’s the voices this time that lend colour and a new air to the music. It’s not an easy record to listen to, but once you get into the buzz of the seven songs on the record, there’s no looking back.

AUDIENCE

Second Handed

The second release by this five piece outfit form Gernika. The lads are growing as a band with the passing of time and it’s certainly very noticeable on this record. We had a fair clue of where this lot were heading musically when we heard their first record but there was still something not all there. Not on this one. The huge amount of work they’ve done shines through the songs and this is, without a doubt, one of the musical high points of the year. Of the ten songs on the record one is sung in Basque and the rest in English. On songs like “Go home (sweet hole)”, “Ten times” or “Beste zeruaren azpian” you can clearly appreciate the rock, country and hardcore influences at their most. The elegance of the group is patent on the two versions of the song “Second hand” or “You could be shot”. Great second album from this Gernika band.