Artist Profile: Union Of Knives
File this under Could Not Possibly Be More Right Up My Alley. Seriously, remember how I said my music taste was becoming more and more defined by two genres: Brit Pop and slickly produced electronic tracks? Well it’s a fusion of those two styles that is exactly what Union of Knives bring to the table, and that’s exactly why their one of my favorite new bands of 2006. Angular guitar riffs drenched in undulating synths and pulsing drum beats create a unique dark electro-pop sound that’s a welcomed refreshment in the UK’s crowded (and played-out) dance punk scene. All in all, this adds up to what it might sound like if Sigur Ros and Radiohead got high as shit together and invited the Faint over for drinks and a synthesizer jam session, and then liked the results so much that they went ahead and released an album together.
The closest thing we may ever get to that album is Union of Knive’s debut, Violence & Birdsong, which compiles all of the group’s previously-released tracks (from their 2005 self-titled debut EP and 2006’s “I Decline” single), shows them a little reproduction love and unleashes them on the masses. Album opener “Opposite Direction” draws you in with a twenty-second intro that’s straight out of a dark and twisted carnival soundtrack (you know, like what you hear on all those Dark & Twisted Carnival Music compilations you have lying around), before a tidal wave of moody synths crush down on the listener and stay the course the rest of the way out. “Taste For Harmony” is the album’s lead single, and while you won’t find a catchier chorus on the album, it’s previously-released “Evil Has Never” that is the real burner of the bunch. With a dancefloor-ready BPM rate, that addictive “evil has never loved you” refrain, and catchy boy-girl verses courtesy of Jenny Reeves (who also appears on “Opposite Direction”), it seems like the track most immediately ready to roar out the gates and get the indie kids moving. Taking a similar approach to “Opposite Direction” (gentle lead-in to crushing beat), it’s the album’s standout track and reason enough on its own to start expecting big things from this Glasgow trio. Violence & Birdsong is one of my favorite debuts of ‘06 so far, so you’d be wise to get on it and feel the hotness below.
MP3s:
“Opposite Direction” - Union Of Knives
“Evil Has Never” - Union Of Knives ((highly recommended))
“Taste For Harmony” - Union Of Knives