Demos

Mad Staring Eyes - 'Walking in the Streets'

Holly Cruise 15/01/2007

Rating: 2/5

It all starts so promisingly. A nice rumble of bass, a wiry little riff... but there's something a little empty about this track from long-term 'next big things' Mad Staring Eyes. There's nothing at all particularly bad about it. After all, there aren't too many tunes out there which combine the desire to see someone and the fear of werewolves. But aside from a few new-wave style guitar and bass fills it mostly comes across as the sort of indie rock which Snow Patrol made before they decided to only make Virgin Radio ballads. There's a similar lyrical weirdness, a similar attitude, and even the way the instruments all hurtle along at 90mph echoes in a familiar way.

It's not a terrible song. It could find a nice niche for itself on most daytime radio. But that's the main obstacle. There's no ambition to be anything more than the sort of track which everyone will hear, millions will buy, and no one will love or treasure. It's the sort of music you can easily imagine being huge, soundtracking primetime TV shows and adverts.