Broken Hands – Down By The Current EP

Broken Hands are a four piece from Cantebury who recently completed a cracking UK tour in September. TT has reviewed their current EP to nudge them towards the headline act status that surely awaits them.

Alarms
Making Biffy look soft, this is new way to make British rock music: powerful riffs and a vocal to die for. Dale Norton has a strong set of pipes for sure, but lurking in there is a fragility that makes him human, makes him seem vulnerable to the world. Nevertheless, as the music drives along through the chorus, it’s clear that this world has nothing that frightens him enough to ever crawl away and hide.

Curves

This is going to be a crowd favourite. Anything with a big visceral opening has to be, it’s the law right? In TT’s view, this is as classic as it gets. It has a bass line that marches you straight into the big riffed chorus, before a lowdown dirty guitar solo gives you something to lose yourself in. Reading and Leeds festival goers best be aware of this track because it screams to be adored by a crowd of thousand drunk music lovers . 

At Least I Let You Down

Norton’s vocals here have a subtle nod to My Morning Jacket’s Jim James which compliments the Black Keys’ pumped glam rock vibe going on here. The slow building stomp will have fingers tapping on many a steering wheel, but it is the subtle rock-pysch synths lingering in the background which give this tune real substance. For a debut EP, this shows they have a real musical knowledge; imagine what someone like Dave Zitek or Nigel Godrich could bring to the table for them.

Pulled Under

Saving the best till last, ‘Pulling Under’, is a five minute jaw-dropper. The riff will make any fans of QOTSA or Jack White sit up and take note. Big, bold and bloody beautiful! The dark psychedelic moments to this song will reel in fans of Kasabian’s masterpiece ‘West Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ as well. The combination of these two is a real winner. This is a track fit for any rock band to close a set or festival with in any era. Buy the EP, go see them live, make Broken Hands the enthralling headline act they deserve to be.