The Sequins: The Risky Woods Review

By Joanne Ostrowska

Proving that there’s still a heart in a genre thought to be selling its soul; The Sequins bring a sweet pinch of sentimental dazzle to indie pop. With their EP entitled The Risky Woods, it seems more likely you would encounter Lorraine Kelly rather than any goblins or trolls out in rural fantasia; despite what the front cover may convey.

They "make pop songs with guitars" admittedly; and the result is somewhat like combining Roy Orbison with the Maccabees on the edge of Dr. Parnassus’s Imaginarium. Yet in a land far far away from fairytale make-believe; The Sequins can currently be found gigging around the venues of Coventry- the city of three spires and almost no obvious woodland. They play in a sea of gritty rock n’ roll and blues; combating the most dominant themes piping from their hometown with an enchanting quality- which is at times, haunting. Perhaps it is best to describe their songs as downright jaunty, yet coming from a contrastingly sorrowful place. Vocalist Hywel Roberts sings with dainty charm; almost as though a voice could walk over eggshells. And guitar provided by Justin Hui is succinctly plucked and fired up alternately; a good concentration of the bands outright energy. The band’s EP sounds a bit like stop-motion animation.

All That We Know is wistfully vibrant; the instrumentals thoroughly rev up momentum where it’s needed in a Queen-esque fashion, and the vocals pepper the down-time with a blissfully melancholic warble. Space Travel in Your Blood has the makings of a jazz number with salsa undertones, and delicate psychedelic touches. Then The Chiming Bells contains shades of both light and dark; it takes you from the yellow brick road to the backstreets of Oz faster than a Munchkin. Angeline is almost like a journey; perhaps on an aeroplane, maybe as part of an escape adventure- but most likely because Freddie Mercury wants his riffs back. Finally Offside & Beautiful finishes the EP off on a classical, more romantic note; imaginably like dancing a waltz under the glare of frosty pale moonlight. The song naturally leads to a peppier crescendo, but otherwise the vocals in particular are floating down like feathers.

If The Sequins was a place, it would surely be a land of magical enterprises; a spell-binding flurry of sparkle- located somewhere near to Narnia. A trip to The Risky Woods for some indie tunes or turkish delight anyone? Find out more at www.myspace.com/thesequinsspace