Sheffield isn’t the first place that would spring to mind when rattling off places that are known for producing musical talent. The city has certainly done its bit, however, releasing bands like Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Def Leppard, the Human League and While She Sleeps into the world. Despite this, some of Sheffield’s best music right now is very much under the radar, in the form of the female-fronted six-piece of Double No No, who may very well be your new favourite band.
The band catalogue themselves as “dusty flamenco flavoured Americanoir desert rock and/or roll”, a description that certainly doesn’t hold back, but it hits the mark perfectly in summarising the sound of Double No No. Slow, brooding and carrying a sound you might expect in a Western film, the sextet embrace their sound and pull it off well.
Their debut album Heart and Meat is a great indicator of this; the sort of music you could expect to drift enticingly out of a packed saloon. Each song tells a story too, with vocalist Danielle Maibaum guiding the way. Maiburn combines with guitarist Nic Burke to nail the sound that Double No No are aiming for, with tracks such as ‘A Penny Dreadful’ and ‘Linoleum’ showing this off well.
The band are anything but a one-trick pony, though, with the more pacy ‘Dusty Boots’ able to get feet moving and show off how Double No No are able to escape the slower tempo and still produce the goods. For the most part, the six-piece toy with a number of approaches to their music, not really faltering with any. ‘Mexican Boyfriend’ combines a number of these into one song; the lyrics and how the track builds up through a number of different tempos and moods makes it a highlight of Heart and Meat.
The debut release is a fantastic signpost for where this band are heading, and has found them an early endorser in the form of pounding fellow Sheffielders Black Spiders. With this in mind, the future looks bright right now for a group of individuals that have settled the West and struck gold with a superb, atmospheric sound.
http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=493772193/size=grande3/bgcol=E2E2E2/linkcol=4285BB/
Useful Links: Twitter / Facebook / Soundcloud / Bandcamp
7bitarcade - Archive 