Air to Achilles are a Newcastle band, re-creating a fresh indie sound whilst carving their own path into the music industry.
Wild Palms is their new single, launched at The Telegraph in Newcastle, on June 8th and featured on BBC 6 and ‘Introduced’ by Tom Robinson who described the band as “Glorious! Stomping! Epic!” it’s fair to say these Toon boys are well on their way.
Still playing venues around the North East, the band have yet to venture any further sound than Sunderland but have gained a good following in their home town.
Wild Palms is a piece of music with fluid movement, its opening is not dissimilar to the Chili’s Zephyr song but with smoother guitar initially. The first verse is sung off-beat with the guitars picking this up in the chorus and throughout into the second verse.
Lead singer, Andy Bell’s distinctive voice echoes that of Bloc Party, in that commanding but not invasive manner. The sound is full, generating a feeling that there’s a lot going on but actually it’s a beautifully developed, yet simple track.
There is also an Arcade Fire feel running through, which may be intentional if they’re an influence on the band. It is a comparison most bands should enjoy, with Arcade Fire creating music that is not only clever but lasting.
It is clear when listening to this track that this band have been working hard, refining their sound and taking control of their rhythms. Music like this doesn’t come naturally, it has to be developed even if the idea is already there to begin with – this is the kind of stuff you want to hear when people express music is art.
Wild Palms is an anthemic song, the heavily masculine chorus screams stadium sing-alongs and the all-encompassing drive of their instruments, with interjections of synth make this a tune worth paying attention to.
Much like the band – watch this space!
Fran Bonner – June 2012
