Singles

Enter Shikari - Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour

Tim Miller 03/03/2007

Rating: 2/5

Ones to watch for in 2007, and current favourite of the praise-slut that is Zane Lowe, Enter Shikari's new single steals the line from the opening sequence to the classic puppet TV show Stingray as their title. Backed by many for what is hailed as an innovative mix of trance and hard rock, Enter Shikari have already blazed sell out shows at the Astoria and built up a legion of fans who like their music relentlessly unforgiving.

That 'innovative' mix, then, sees an opening salvo of synth arpeggios more akin to Cascada overdubbed with vocals borrowed straight out of Fallout Boy or Panic! At The Disco's book, followed by a furious screaming underpinned with heavy guitar chugging. This fragmented beginning builds for a minute and more, and I'm expecting things to really kick off and a furious, pumping dance beat with a barrage of guitar riffs to emerge. Instead, nothing happens: it's anything but frantic, and there's no explosion of noise or energy. The track continues at half pace with suspiciously emo-sounding vocals, and the whole thing seems to fall a little flat after the opening minute's tension.

All in all, for me, a disappointment - Enter Shikari's unique blending of two contrasting styles instead turns out to be a clash, the sound they create is not a groundbreaking new genre but two existing ones cobbled, rather awkwardly, together. I find it hard to believe that this is genuinely fooling anyone, but anything can happen in music at the moment. What's next, classical ska?

Released 5th March.

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Photo by www.jamesellisphotography.co.uk