Simon Says No! - Simon Says No!
by Tara McEvoy
published: 7 / 4 / 2011
Label:
Brilliance Records
Format: CD
intro
Challenging, yet totally captivating and unique debut album from Norwegian-based shoegazing/punk act, Simon Says No!
All those who thought dreamy, distortion-drenched pop died out with the end of the nineties should give the thought-provoking eponymous album from Bergen upstarts Simon Says No! a spin. From the track 'Exit' (which ironically begins the album), redolent of hypnotic riffs and thick layers of distortion, one can pick up a clear Cocteau Twins/My Bloody Valentine influence, yet the band offer a modern twist to the genre. The album isn’t all sighed vocals and wall-of-noise instrumentation. A slight punk influence can be felt through the tribal drum tattoo and wailing strings of the rollicking ‘Solitary Rush’, and ‘See Me Through’ even has an Stone Roses-esque feel. As the strung-out beauty of ‘Reverse’ bleeds into the raucous euphoria of ‘Midnight Romance’, it becomes clear that you’d dismiss Simon Says No! as just another bunch of shoegazing no hopers at your peril – their dreamy, atmospheric brand of music speaks more loudly of star gazing than anything else. It mightn’t be packed full of sing-along opportunities, there may be no obvious fists-in-the-air moments, it mightn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if Simon Says No" does anything, it may make you question the way you look at music. The band has deconstructed traditional format and structure, challenging in itself, yet perhaps even more surprisingly – they’ve made it work, and what’s more, they’ve made one of the most idiosyncratic, exciting and interesting albums of the year so far.
Track Listing:-
1 Exit2 Solitary Rush
3 Sigh
4 See Me Through
5 City
6 Illusion
7 Para Cirkus
8 Reverse
9 Midnight Romance
10 Cut-Off Orange
11 Systematic
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.The Church - Interview with Steve Kilbey
Simon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
Secret Shine - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Flaming Stars - Interview
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadKula Shaker - Natural Magick
Ian Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Inutili - A Love Supreme
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Ty Segall - Three Bells
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart