Album review: Shield Your Eyes – Theme From Kindness
Shield Your Eyes are a post hardcore three piece from London. ‘Theme From Kindness’, recorded in bass player Nick Bavin’s living room, is their third full length album. I haven’t heard the previous two so I don’t know if this is a progression or more of the same but I can tell it’s not easy listening!
Shield Your Eyes are without doubt inventive, original and have more soul in their little finger than all the X-Factor contestants put together, but they are also loud, aggressive and in your face, they have a sound which demands that you sit up and listen. The recordings are deliberately lo-fi and raw and vocalist Smudge’s voice sounds like the Kings Of Leon’s Caleb Followill would if he’d been kicked in the balls. When it works, on tracks like ‘Olivers Wharf’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and ‘Too Little Has Been Good For The Soul’ they are interesting, loud and intense but have an underlying melody that keeps things together. However when they don’t work, on songs like ‘Drawn To Water’ and especially album opener ‘I Took My Lead From You and Your Kindness’ they seem to be trying so hard to be inventive and original that they forget to include a tune, which leaves you with a bunch of instruments that don’t connect with each other. On balance the album has just about more good songs than bad, but they make for a pretty uncomfortable listen, particularly if you’ve been out on the lash the night before! Perhaps they should change their name from Shield Your Eyes to Cover Your Ears! 2/5
Mark Cousens
Out 25th October on Function Records
www.myspace.com/shieldyoureyes
Buy Shield Your Eyes from hmv
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