The Energies : ‘Born Again Runner’
Label: Hypertelic
What makes a good band? Often it comes down to two points. Is it image? Where 4 well groomed men at the cutting edge of 'cool' can make the indie kids swoon? Or is it good songwriting? Certainly something that even when it is there, is clouded in a sea of bands wanting to change the world with...basically the same thing as everyone else. It is refreshing that 'The Energies' challenge the first point. Singer-songwriter Nick Nicola (great name-radio dj's dream!) plays all the instruments, something that makes me think of the groundbreaking work of Mike Oldfield. I shouldn't have, as coming to the second point, the 'band' fall short.
The new single 'Born Again Runner' starts very promisingly. A dreamy guitar picks up a beautiful chord and is followed by a punchy bassline with a solid beat that challenges your head to stay still. Imagine the disappointment when the vocals enter and boringly mimic said bassline, forever ruining said bassline. This dismay continues unchanged until an interesting vocal harmony in the pre-chorus, which leads brilliantly to the entrance of Michael Stipe and R.E.M. You’re kidding. It isn't him? On hearing this listeners will surely be fumbling for the CD sleeve to confirm the involvement. While it's not a bad chorus, and is a catchy hook for the song, you're talking about R.E.M over the top of the song with your mates and not actually hearing it. You wouldn’t miss much. Aforementioned dull verse preceeds another chorus, this time bringing in garageband's finest synth strings that drift, or rather hover cheesily over the vocals.
It's a shame really as the guitar and drum work here is really impressive and the tune will stay with you long after the song ends, I like R.E.M after all. The song is released at the end of June and apparently it has generated some online buzz and some club dj interest. I can’t back up this interest. At the end of the day, it's not that bad, unfortunately it's just not that good either.
5/10
Words: James Derrick
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