Hyde & Beast - Slow Down
Hyde & Beast is a duo featuring Futureheads drummer Dave Hyde alongside ex-Golden Virgins drummer Neil 'Beast' Basset.
Their debut album Slow Down is one that quietly moves along, carried by soulful tracks and occasional flashes of brilliance.
Acoustic-driven, what initially feels bare is actually ambient and emotional.
In fairness to Hyde & Beast, they've crafted a wonderful, atmospheric album that captures the essence of the '60s.
This is no more evident than on stand-out 'Trees Are Falling'.
The album has some great rock n' roll roots on tracks like '(And The) Pictures In The Sky', and the bluesy tones of 'Last Chance For A Slow Dance' make for a beautiful track.
Slow Down has an interesting, retrospective sound that avoids sounding dated.
Whilst it does drag at moments, it is understable for the duo's first outing.
As a debut, it is certainly ambitious and exciting at times, but it still leaves room for improvement on album number two.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge