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| Cut Off Your Hands - Cut Off Your Hands EP | Cut Off Your Hands - Cut Off Your Hands EP
IAMSOUND Records
October 9th, 2007
Americans have grown accustomed to lagging behind Europeans when it comes to discovering the next big thing in music. It only seems natural, for an incredible talent pool bustles on the continent and thus emerging artists make their first waves within their respective nations and not overseas. However, one rarely hears of artists breaking big in New Zealand before bursting out on the American scene. Cut Off Your Hands did just that.
Cut Off Your Hands get off to a slow start with the sub par “Let Go;” guitar work sounds slightly too tinny and vocals are hushed to an obnoxious extent. The group struggles mightily to force a sense of order and control over their effort, and it turns out quite poorly. However, the band sets things straight on the ensuing “Sorry.” Guitar work somehow manages to charge aggressively while still maintaining a relatively slow pace, and the singing here takes an infinitely more urgent tone. Cut Off Your Hands proves infinitely more enjoyable in such a frantic setting; it appears as if the band excels when spiraling out of control musically. This shines apparent again near the end of “Tell Me About.” Vocal work becomes entirely unruly both with respect to pitch and volume, and every note sung strikes the listener with a sense of conviction and sincerity.
Yet the listener only realizes Cut Off Your Hands’s full potential upon hearing their ability to craft a mind-numbingly infectious single. “You And I” kicks off with flailing guitar strikes and a cry of “hey” before diving into a sea of timely percussion, direct string work, pained cries, and reassuring handclaps. From beginning to end, the band draws its listeners in with their uncanny ear for catchiness. “Expectation” showcases the group’s ability to mold a slower single; actual singing with decided intonations paired with directed guitar strums prove slightly less enjoyable than the vocals and instrumentals on the previous track, but the band still impresses greatly.
Finally, listeners instantly take note of the brevity of C.O.Y.H.’s tunes. The group, in an effort to cut all the unnecessary fat off of their tracks, keeps the vast majority of its work to a brief two minutes. This allows for each and every moment of their songs to ring with a pureness not possible in songs beefed up with unneeded solos, choral repeats, and strained verses.
Cut Off Your Hands hit it big in New Zealand quite some time ago. They have played popular festivals there and in Australia, appeared on national television stations, and toured in support of many big name artists. Once again, it’s time for the United States to play catch up. |
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Displaying posts 1 - 9 of 9. |
11:01 AM on 11/21/07 | Horrible record label.
JK, hi Paul  | | |
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11:38 AM on 11/21/07 | willreadbooksformoney @ tumblr Accurate review. Fun band to listen to, but to be frank they desperately need some new material. It feels like forever ago this EP first came out. Good for people that just got into the band, but a tad disappointing for those that have been on board for a while. Nonetheless, I'm pretty excited to hear more and see what these guys can do. | | |
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12:25 PM on 11/21/07 | they released a 2nd EP earlier this year called Blue on Blue. It's a lot poppier, less spazzy than the first EP... I don't love it, but a couple of the tracks are pretty good. | | |
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12:38 PM on 11/21/07 | Accurate review. Fun band to listen to, but to be frank they desperately need some new material. It feels like forever ago this EP first came out. Good for people that just got into the band, but a tad disappointing for those that have been on board for a while. Nonetheless, I'm pretty excited to hear more and see what these guys can do. |
We need to talk music soon. | | |
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01:24 PM on 11/21/07 | I got Blue on Blue a few months back, so that's the new material. I've never actually heard the first EP but looks like i should check it out. | | |
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03:02 PM on 11/21/07 | Haha wtf. Last band I expected to see a review for.
Horrible, horrible bass tone is all I have to say for the band. We played a show with them a few months back.
This EP is okay but they've improved a lot now.. | | |
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08:24 PM on 11/22/07 | they released a 2nd EP earlier this year called Blue on Blue. It's a lot poppier, less spazzy than the first EP... I don't love it, but a couple of the tracks are pretty good. |
You might love Blue on Blue by Leigh Nash. | | |
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