Artist: Laymar
Title: Demo
By Conor Duffy

Laymar have been mentioned on this site before, when Andy N came across them at 2005's In The City and was consequently impressed by what he heard. Now they have decided to send a copy of their demo, three tracks recorded live during a gig last December. Clocking in at a little under 27 minutes, one would hope that Laymar have the musical chops to carry such ambitious feats of musical might.

Believe me, they do. ‘Swords…' meanders along at times, before kicking into a steady rhythm that drives home the track's beautiful melodies. They've been described as Mogwai meets Sigur Ros, and within thirty seconds you can understand why. Layers are laid upon layers, and even the poor sound quality can't stop the majesty of this work. Actually, it has quite the opposite effect: it makes one more determined to listen, willing the band to go above and beyond all boundaries. It also makes you sad that you couldn't stand there in the club when these compositions were recorded, as watching Laymar create this overwhelming noise (a noise no three-piece should be capable of) must have been a sight to behold.

The success achieved by bands like Mogwai and The Mars Volta show that there is room in the music world for expansive, sometimes difficult music such as this. At the moment Laymar are too poor to get into a studio and take advantage of all a sound desk has to offer, which is a travesty, as there are lots of minds waiting to be blown by an act like this.

For more information visit www.laymar.co.uk