The single launch…
(single, Popular Recordings)
Deep in the stripped out guts of Dalston’s Stamford Works the arty young London based four piece Wild Palms are celebrating the release of new single ‘Over Time’. Having spent the past year tightening the screws of their sound they’re reaping the rewards and just enjoying the heck out of it.
On record they come over all elbows and angles but live the guys have more than a hint of The Walkmen about them; insistent and demanding of your attention. It’s immediate and infused with a kind of tribal honesty that strikes a chord, especially on ‘Deep Dive’. The performance is engaging with singer Lou Hill holding nothing back in terms of on stage exuberance, though it gets a little Hard-Fi in places.
‘Over Time’ itself is taut and exciting with a sharp stabbing guitar line that grabs the ear while the back line takes the song down the road marked LCD Soundsystem. This isn’t a nu-rave thing though, nor nu-disco but if the Sunshine Underground happened by they might recognise Wild Palms as a band after their own hearts.
There are some deep beats here and and a vision that, occasionally organ powered, aims for something more than basement bangers or art student wank-fodder. Wild Palms are a good time band that you can either chin strokingly dissect or simply dance to. The set is on the short side and they will need to write a few more tunes sooner rather than later but as it stands they have all the raw materials needed to sustain our interest and keep us coming back for more. Well worth keeping an eye on these burgeoning perennials.
Words by Chris Burton
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