A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Electric Six play again. This time in Las Vegas. Yip Deceiver were the opening act, however, this time, the evening included performances by two local bands. Usually, the local bands are the groups you ignore and get annoyed with while you wait for E6.
But the first band really caught my attention. The group is called Haberdashers and they've just released a 5 song EP. Their set was comprised of the five songs on the disc and I'm fairly certain, they were played in the exact same order as the disc. I may be wrong. I'm wasn't familiar with their music enough to know at the time. But I liked what I heard enough to purchase the EP. Which, btw, they sold for tips. They let their customers choose how much to pay. Interesting approach. I wonder if it worked in their favor.
I listened to the disc while driving home and I have to be honest with you... There's an energy the group has live that's missing on the disc. But it's easy to pinpoint where the bottom falls out. The lead singer still hasn't quite found his voice. Don't get me wrong, he's a talented vocalist, but he hasn't developed that one quality that is uniquely his. That style to set him apart from other singers. And it's in these pockets of sometimes droning vocals that the group stalls.
The first song is 'Bombshell' and it starts off sounding like a Southern Rock number. Or perhaps a better analogy would be to call it the bastard child of Puscifer. The second song, 'Glass Door' reminds me of early Smashing Pumpkins. There's some exciting musical moments happening here, but it's the chorus that really brings out the Billy Corgan feel.
'401' is the next track and this one musically sounds like a Sublime Halloween nursery rhyme. The tempo drags a little on the disc, but live, it has a creepy energy that was completely infectious. A lot of people responded to this number. Including me. 'Tremors' comes in with great build. This is a song I can hear a lot of greatness. It's another one that's highly reminiscent of early Pumpkins.
The final track is easily my favorite number both live and on the disc. The song is called 'Screech Owls'. You've got some energetic playing throughout and it's an amazing tune with so much potential. The vocal arrangement on this number is odd, but that's where its charm comes from. "It's oh, so strange..." Completely brilliant. This is also the song where the lead vocalist comes closest to finding his voice. The music allows for some great showcasing by the band and you have some wonderful drumming along with incredible bass and guitar work.
I think this group shows a lot of promise. What's lacking right now is a strong handed producer who can help the group tighten their fills, solidify a sound and help the singer find his true voice. I can totally hear it on 'Screech Owls'. He's so close.
This is obviously I group I'm going to follow and pay attention to. I'm also going to do something I don't normally do and include a link to their facebook page. You can find them HERE. I'm excited because I hear depth in their subject matter, strength in the music and I have the feeling I'm hearing a huge band right at the very beginning of their musical development. I can't encourage you enough to give this band a try.
My final words: PICK UP THE EP, GO TO THE SHOW AND GET IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR. THEY'RE MOVING ON UP.
HABERDASHERS - HABERDASHERS EP
01. Bombshell
02. Glass Door
03. 401
04. Tremors
05. Screech Owls
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