大象传媒

Ok, the first question is, what is a Colly String? And the Key of Atlas? Is that what he uses to get in his front door? It's enough to make one reminiscent for the good old days when bands had proper names like... ok, band names have never been sensible.

Of course it doesn't matter what you call yourself, as long as you can do the business with the tunes, and Key Of Atlas have a tune or two. They've been on the ATL radar for a while now, playing the City Hall gig last year, and are tipped as one of the new generation coming through to fill the gaps left by others' upward mobility. Their American-emo-tinged sound is certainly popular enough, and the likes of 'When Fathers Were Kings' certainly wouldn't disgrace any teen drama soundtrack - Friday Night Lights seems an appropriate example. At times they suffer from the genre's problem of being overwrought, but there's enough going on there to prevent it from falling into the traps of the commercial dirge that has ruined this style of music. Indeed although they do tread familiar territory in terms of lyrics, closing number 'Never Get Out' hints at their capabilities, with a more varied guitar sound closer to the madness of ASIWYFA and topped with spat out vocals. Key-p it up lads.

As for Colly Strings, well, picking up where Key Of Atlas left off, it begins with touches of ASIWYFA, albeit more restrained and without the reckless self-endangerment. A song with no name is introduced, but it desperately needs one, simply to allow it to be praised properly, for with a hooky riff, multiple parts and phases and bit a swagger and arrogance. Hurry up and give it a name, unless it's a tribute to Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name, in which case it's definitely cool enough to be that. 'I'll Find You' slowly builds into soaring stadium epic, like Kings of Leon having a drink or two with Explosions In The Sky, while 'Built To' is less grandiose but definitely not a fall to earth. 'Buttons And Hope', from the EP launched tonight, returns to that AISWYFA-esque madness and expansionism, with an attacking start, and topped off with the cherry of a catchy vocal, leaving just a couple of thoughts, firstly do we have room for another cracking band locally - well, yes of course we do. And secondly, seriously what the hell is a Colly String?

William Johnston