LA2, London (30/11/98)
It's fair to say that
there's not exactly a riot going on - they're hardly the most forward of bands - but the four-piece shows enough promise to survive comparisons.
The guitarist Ray Chan will certainly remind audiences of Nick McCabe, as much for his ability apparently to sit while in fact
standing, as for his stylish slide technique, while the singer Gerard Starkie has a wide, warm range, already given to swoops
into the bass register alongside Tim Buckley-esque flights of fancy. They play well within themselves,
tempered perhaps by the fact that they've so far performed only a handful of shows, but
there's enough room in the music, especially the pounding 'So Far Gone' and the presumably untitled '6/8' to make them a tip
for '99. Tantalisingly tentative.
THE INDEPENDENT
... Some other correspondents at the gig focused almost as
heavily on the performance of new Wigan-based
outfit Witness. It seems that they're going to be for '99 what Gomez were last
year. Their instrumental prowess was superb, but for a live band they were too
one-paced, and when pitched against the masters of the genre they still have a
long way to go. Nevertheless, look out for an album that promises to be a slice
of late night country rock cool sometime next year.
COUNTRY MUSIC INTERNATIONAL