Singles

To The Bones - The Halo Effect

Kev Eddy 21/06/2006

Rating: 4/5

It's a strange thing, when a band makes you sit up and really take notice of them. It's not necessarily anything to do with their innovativeness, or necessarily their musical quality, or even whether they fit into the categories you profess to love. There's a certain something, a spark, a connection that fires in your brain and makes you perk up and have faith again.

Bolton's To The Bones have that spark. Without a doubt. Each track of this demo sounds different - the band's history as three disparate groups is quite evident, as there's no distinct sound. What is present, however, is a clash of ideas and disparate concepts, which clash and create something unclassifiable, something truly interesting. From the balls-out rock action of 'No Liar is a Friend of Mine' to the post-rock quiet/loud dynamics of 'Moon Scream' back to 'Gimme Time' - a song which deceives you for the first four minutes by pretending to be a ballad, then thoroughly wedgies you by suddenly turning into an epic distorted guitar fantasy of a tune - To The Bones have promise. Lots of it.

Yes, it's messy. But amongst the clashing styles and rough edges, there is a unifying theme - a feeling that this band want to make rock music that really matters. That, and the definite sense that this band have at least a smidgen of that special something means this is a group that should be watched closely to see where they go next.