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WHATEVER
DID THE CRITICS SAY?
First up is Chekira, who have
managed to produce one of my favourite tracks on Limited
Edition, "How to save your life", and subliminally
brainwash me into listening to it far more than can be
considered healthy.
The track starts with a monologue, as at the beginning of
Madonna's "White Heat" - Chekira do it with a crackly
recording from an old BBC home service transmission. This is a
very clever gimmick, with the BBC announcer introducing the song
as 'This is the BBC home service. And now, I'm sorry to say that
these lads can't play for shit..."
Chekira describe themselves as a pop rock punk outfit, cleverly
covering all he bases in one foul swoop. Obviously, one track
could not tell us how diverse Chekira can be in their style, but
what we have heard reminds us of "Carter U.S.M. - The
Unstoppable Sex Machine", and the end is so much like the
final moments of "Ziggy Stardust" by Bowie that they
could almost be twins. There are clear punk influences, and
speed ridden indie leanings, although I still personally think
"Punk" is getting to be too wide a term to describe
any one sound.
Chekira is a four piece band,
made up of Andy Jackson on guitars and vocals; Rob Baynton on
guitar; drummer Simon Hodgson and bassist Scott McEwan. They
spend most of their time gigging around Peterborough, and have
built up a solid fan base. With three demo releases behind them
(when can we expect a fully fledged album, guys?) they obviously
have a lot of energy to put into their promotion and therefore
have the potential to break out of the "local ring"
and hit the big time if only somebody high up would notice them!
---
By The Adder: KlubKat.com
Chekira
- "No 1 Best SELLOUTS"
'How
to save your life' sounds like a typically catchy punk rock song
with a blend of fast guitar chords mixed amongst catchy,
energetic and uplifting lyrics. The repetitive bass and constant
exhilaration of the track is truly debonair and is definitely a
"song for the kids". Short and catchy with
similarities to Symposium this track carries the enthusiasm and
spunk which Chekira quite obviously posses, charisma quite
simply oozes out of this track. 'How to Save Your Life' may not
have much oomph with regards to it's percussion but if you are
after a song to put a smile on your face then this is the one.
The
second track, 'Sunday, Saturday Song' is simply a bit of a let
down, expecting more after the 1st one, is just doesn't hit the
right spot. The amazingly gentle and soft lyrics disguise the
fact that this track is just a bit too cheesy. Although like the
previous it has quirky chords and a "sing-a-long-feel"
you just can't stop thinking about tacky American sit-coms. It
is only due to the compelling lyrics and foot-tapping tendencies
that I find myself able to half enjoy this softly-softly
approach to what can only be deemed as a cheesy attempt.
A
more mellow but changing to a slightly heavier sounding track,
'Fallen' grabs your attention from the outset. Unlike 'Sunday,
Saturday Song' and 'How to Save Your Life', the talent and
genius lies within the band's ability to play in unison on a
much more magnificent scale. Simple but effective chord changes
and a truly powerful and attention focused voice provides the
strongest quality sounding track out of the three. A superb
guitar solo enhances the groups credibility to perform skilful
and sombre feeling music which keeps the listener engrossed in
the song, the music and lyrics carry each other and you can see
for certain that there is a sense of passion within this
youthful group.
-
Lynsey
editor@gimpamg.com
www.gimpmag.com
The CD, which sold
out of Virgin Records, Peterborough, after just hour on release,
contains the bands most tightest well rounded tunes yet. The
frenetic opener, How To Save Your Life, which was chosen for the
recent Limited Edition compilation, shows they’ve absorbed
their influences and developed a sound all of their own. Wild
keyboards, samples, even a dose of Ska thrown in for good
measure.
Live favorite, The Sunday Saturday son, has all the laid back
pop-rock sentiments of Green Day or Blink 182. And slow-paced
closer, Fallen, proves the band aren’t just kings of thrash
with its intricate indie-esque melodies and strong vocals –
even a soft rock guitar solo that works.
Matt Howling - Stamford Mercury
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