Elly Roberts reviews

Distributed by
Parasitic Recordings

Released: March 2005

Rating: 10/10

North-East Wales quartet Twenty Six Feet release their long-awaited debut two-track single on Parasitic Recordings.

Now based in London, Alex Polakowski (drums), Beorn Holmes (vocals), Dan Jones, (guitar) and Matt Cruice (bass) have made significant inroads onto the capital city’s music scene, with forthcoming gigs at The Marquee Leicester Square and Barfly in April.

It wasn’t always that way, as their initial efforts floundered, so they began from scratch by adding an electronic dimension to their sound. With both these tracks recorded last year at Autumn Road Studios in Wrexham, they’re bound to attract serious attention as they go all out to conquer the charts.

Drawing influences as far a field as U2 to Queen, they’ve now harnessed a monstrous polyphonic delight that will set pulses racing. Empassioned soaring vocals with sharp, dirty riffs and picks, it’s going to raise some eyebrows in the process. As a unit, they have a solid rhythm section which allows frontman Beorn and axeman Dan to layer and texturize their dual assault.

Track 2 sees a mellower (minimalist) side to their detailed repertoire. A lazy and steady groove, (with re-emerging dirty guitar), it brings on its almost suspended and haunted aura. It’s very cavalier stuff and they deserve their rewards.

Also look out for Everyone’s A Tease, a track to be included in the MTV and Universal-funded global release of the movie Jekyll and Hide, due for release in autumn 2005.