60 Persons

Turnaround (Single)

Written by: TL on 25/03/2010 22:31:59

I've ranted about this before, and I'll rant about it again. What the hell is the point of putting out singles, let alone sending them in for review? I know the ADHD generation of today has the music industry buzzing about the death of the album and the age of the downloadable single releases, but regardless of whether it means that I'm an aficionado or just more old fashioned, I can't wrap my head around that whole idea! How in the name of all that is holy am I supposed to get a feeling of identity from a band, that is deeper than Lady Gaga's music, when they only supply me with two or three songs to absorb? Even bands I like, and know personally annoy me slightly when they send such releases, though I often conceal it, so even if tonight's first band on my plate is from the country that never lets me down, Scotland, they're already off to a bad start with giving me so little to listen to.

Anyway, with rant now on pause, let me introduce 60 Persons, a Glasgow five piece who play a mellow and unobtrusive brand of indie pop/rock. Typically for such a sound, the bassline is what drives the songs forward, while the guitar work is kept minimalistic, with bouncy strums and the odd playful lead making up the mainstay of their contribution and attention centers firmly on the singer, who, to my slight disappointment, sounds more stereotypically indie than stereotypically Scottish (I love me some Scottish accents).

The single opens naturally with it's title track "Turnaround", which strolls by you with an enjoyably up-beat tempo, playful guitar and a solid vocal performance, all bringing to mind Razorlight and their début album "Up All Night", albeit 60 Persons never let rip as much as Johnny Borrell and his boys did on that. It is followed by "Not Like You", which speeds down to a more groovy and bluesy tempo and brings Arctic Monkeys slightly within the mental compariscope (yep, just thought of that, patent pending). The single sounds off with "Velvet Sky", which also features a slow pace, but goes for a different approach than the attitude of the previous song, and I have yet to find anything in it that makes up for it really.

All in all, "Turnaround" isn't a bad single, but it isn't really a very good one either. For that, my opening words about it describe it too accurately: Mellow and unobtrusive. Now if you're going to cater to said modern music industry's idea of the quick rush of the single, are those the words you want attached to your material? I hardly think so, especially not if you're working out of a scene that seems to drop one sweet band after another: Biffy Clyro, Idlewild, Twin Atlantic, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Frightened Rabbit, Logan, Yashin and.. Hmmm, I'm sure there are even more!? Anyway, I'll sound this off with a grade that reflects that this is not bad, yet hardly very exciting either:

6

Download: Turnaround
For The Fans Of: Razorlight, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes
Listen: myspace.com/60persons

Release Date 29.03.2010
Bella Rebel Records

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