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Dead Slow Hoot No Reunions

No Reunions
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As debut albums go, No Reunions from Sheffield's own Dead Slow Hoot doesn't lack in confidence. While listening to these nine very different but intrinsically connected songs, you might be surprised to discover that this is their first full-length release. Indeed, these four friends have been making music and playing together for over half a decade. They're a band who keep evolving, never satisfied with standing still or repeating what they've done before. They sound slightly reminiscent of many different bands but they are stubbornly difficult to pin down. At the same time, their sound is not derivative in the slightest.

The album opens with 'Each Day Disaster', which exhibits traces of melancholic splendour and poignant wonder, but don't be fooled this is one of their more upbeat numbers. Several rich veins flow through No Reunions. There's a tender, maudlin undercurrent which is ever-present. This sadness is captured in myriad ways but none more so than in Hugo Lynch's complex and clever lyricism. His lugubrious vocals croon through 'An Island Keen to Float', backed by bittersweet instrumentation and an intricate musical arrangement.

However, Dead Slow Hoot aren't afraid to cast off their self-imposed shackles and burst into the anthemic furore of 'Hysterical Strength', a song which revels in propulsive abandon. While No Reunions is grounded in misery, there's also a sense of hopefulness and a feeling that better days may be just around the corner. It's the product of a band with an exceptionally bright future.

Rob Aldam

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