aaamusic | On 03, Nov 2013

‘November Sun’ is the latest release by five piece Dublin based band Spies. It is a gritty and soulful rock and roll song infused with hints of dance elements evoking a similar atmosphere to Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ but maintains an energy and rawness more suited to the psychedelic rock and roll underground.

The song opens with a groovy isolated riff which forms the backbone of the track as it slithers its way through the song added to by unrelenting sparky taps of the cymbals and percussion which provide an energetic and enigmatic pulse together with the base line which drives the sound forward. It is in this light percussive playing that hints towards a dance infusion. The song constantly repeats in a hypnotic manner and is laden with catchy, winding guitar hooks.

The lyrics are beautifully poetic and poignant as singer Michael Broderick describes the coming of winter and the seasonal shift through stunning melodic lines that echo; ‘I am the longing, and the yearning too, here I see, my majestic statuettes with all beauty derived, And even with all the fear that winter brings she’s the solace that breaks through… but it’s getting darker’. Throughout, the vocals appear distant, loaded with enough reverb to give the impression that the voice is that of a higher being giving the song an ethereal and spiritual feeling.

‘November Sun’ is truly entrancing and overflowing with catchy indie guitar hooks. It is joyous and alluring and perforates today’s music scene with an enigmatic originality and professionalism that is not to be underestimated.

★★★★★

Shane O Neill