(3-track single promo/ 2003)
I have known-of and being fascinated-by Leeds geniuses Four Day Hombre for three years; and finally they are getting the attention they deserve.
On the hairy back of some priceless Radio 1 exposure, they are promoting their first single �The First Word is The Hardest� which reels you in with aplomb as the hugely sensitive vocals simultaneously build up to a striking crescendo with the alternative-Emo-soul-rock music (for want of a more precise catch-all term, ha ha!). Timeless in its style, it literally does unfold slowly-but-surely to ultimately envelope the listener in its truly majestic sound. A sound of the future - with lyrical laments to further claim vulnerability: �You can�t hide the lies that burn through your life.�
I�ve seen the 4 Day Hombres a few times in Hull and York, and while this demo remains markedly chilled and subtle (other than the obligatory �mad� endings to the first two songs), in a live situation their pointed intensity is overwhelming and their rampagingly melodic tunes hacked out by their guitars never fail to make the hairs on the offside of your right ankle stand proud, stand firm.
The middle song - �Resolve� (�I�m nobody�s plaything; I�m nobody�s little girl�� which is reassuring seen as though the singer is a grown man, lol) - may not be as outstanding as the title track, but it�s a mid-paced deviation laced with controlled, introspective angst. Hang around for it to kick-off around the 3 minute 15 second mark though, and ruthlessly anarchic bass moves and guitar squeals effectively and essentially quarrel to the death.
Four Day Hombre this time round well and truly peak with �Too Cool To Shop� (�All�s well with a good complexion,� apparently), mind your good self, that revolutionalises Alt.-disco-rock, the falsetto vocals and zee wicked fusion of a bickering guitar riff and big beats making this the most immediate - and unfortunately the shortest - of this selection of showcase tracks.
4Day will inevitably succeed with their desire in daring to allow their music to be cross generic. In shooting spurts they can remind of bands like Athlete (in light of their charmingly chilled and soulful snatches), Mogwai (for their ability to heighten the emotional intensity and/ or instability of a song with unexpected, dynamic guitar passages), and then new bands such as Bob Cuba and McGraw�s Law with such a bold willingness to mix dance beats with glorious guitars.
All the while though they remain their own band. And one genuinely incredible band at that�
(STEVE RUDD)
www.fourdayhombre.co.uk