Albums

Album Review: Big Hand

[Album: How About It?]
[Label: Zorbic Media]

Next up for review we have the debut album ‘How About It?’ from Edinburgh “offbeat disco pioneers” Big Hand. This hardworking band has been on the scene since 2005 and this is their first full-length offering clocking in at 14 tracks. I have to say that I was really looking forward to reviewing this one. Having seen the band live a while back and enjoyed them I was ready for blasting, dancey, happy ska to come blasting out of my speakers. What I got was something somewhat different…

Now then, I’m a big fan of every incarnation of ska music that I’ve ever come across - first-wave right through to modern day ska-punk and back again – but I’m not sure what to make of this. Maybe I’m too used to relying on bands that stick to the same tried and tested formula? Maybe Big Hand is just what is needed to shake it all up. Maybe. The fact that they market themselves as “offbeat disco pioneers” is indication enough that this band doesn’t want to be written off as just another ska band and this is certainly reflected in their experimental style.

The thing is all the ingredients are here - the ska rhythm guitar, the sassy brass melodies and one-dropping drums. What is different is the way Big Hand bring it all together, giving it a more soulful, sparse and laid-back flavour. If you’re expecting thundering skank-out tunes this is not the album for you. At the same time, if you like groove-laden rocksteady or dancehall you’ll also be disappointed. So what does that leave? Well, quite a lot actually and Big Hand are not the first to push the boundaries of this genre. I’m just left wondering if they have really achieved all they set out to do.

The CD sounds great, the songs are well written and it does keep your foot tapping throughout. But that’s the problem, it doesn’t ever take you much beyond that sense of mild interest. After the first listen I was left with a sense that the breakout tracks had somehow been left off this copy of the album. What there is here is good, but it’s not great and it so easily could have been. These guys are hugely entertaining live, and have worked very hard to get this record out, but none of their personality seems to have seeped into the recording. The songs are all very laid back, at times too laid back, causing you to lose interest.

If I had to single one thing out for causing this it would be the vocals. During the more stripped-back and bittersweet moments they are perfect, but as the music kicks it up a gear they fail to rise to the occasion and cause the song to lose momentum. It’s not that the vocals are bad – the singers are very good - it’s just that they fail to really capture the mood when the songs get a little more frantic. What is missing is the full spectrum of emotion and a strong sense of purpose. The album carries on well enough at it’s own medium pace but what it really needs to do is step it up a notch and deliver a breakout track that really connects with the listener and hold their attention throughout.

This is definitely a band to go and see live, and I hope one to watch out for in future given all their hard work, but as far as this CD goes it falls short of what it could have been. Big Hand have delivered 14 well written tracks of enjoyable music but they have not gone quite far enough to make this a CD that truly stands out above its contemporaries.

For Fans Of: Slackers, Aggrolites, The Dead 60s

Band Link:
Big Hand

Shop:
You can buy “How About It?” via the band’s website

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