It’s straight in with Gathering of Strangers new summer single Nice Hair. It has to be said, at first I thought it’s a bit of a weird idea. With the opening line being “Is this really forward, I really like your hair”, followed up with “Have I made it awkward?”. I think I’d be a bit awkward if a stranger said that… but it’s a pretty good opening! The songs quite a short but sweet summer vibe, with some tight playing and loads of little additional bits that are hard to spot on the first listen.
Once you press play, the song is rolling nicely from start to finish! There’s not really any breaks for the band throughout as it delivers a fun feel. The lead guitar really comes alive in this song, with a brilliant wah sound and loads of other effects almost through the entire thing! Creating some great beach side memories for anyone who’s listening. I also love how it flows in and out of the foreground of the song, one second it’s not to be seen, and then it pops out of nowhere with a nice little lick.
The grooving also really helps to create that warm sunny day feeling as you’re strolling down the street. A good band deserves a tight playing drummer, and this band has just that! The vocals sit really nicely in the mix of the whole thing too. If you’re a fan of loads of cool layers in a song, you’ll be a fan of this.
As much as it is a great little treasure for any indie fan, it feels like it needs a little more shape to the song. That’s not to say that it’s a bad song, but a little more colour and variation in the whole sound and a bit more of a dip in volume for some parts would really blow it up to an anthem!
After all has been said and done, Nice Hair is something I wouldn’t protest if it came on a playlist, especially at the beach! A little short, but sweet for what it is. You can catch it on Spotify and iTunes, as well as most other places online.
Review by Ben Kitching
Photography by Holly Beson-Tams (@shotbyhol)
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