2:54 / 2:54 / Review

by marcopantella

Read it on Chasseur Magazine

 

England strikes again, because let’s face it, when it comes to music most of the interesting upcoming artists comes from England. This is the time for clear-cut melodic lines and a shoegaze production. It is 2:54 o’clock and it is the time of Londoners Thurlow’s sisters.

If you are familiar with American female dream pop duo Azure Ray, you will probably connect with Hannah and Colette’s debut album even though they are more uptempo and less dramatic and experimental than another well know duo, CocoRosie.

Taking their name from 1983 rock band Melvins (2:54 is from a point in the timeline of one of their songs) this first self-titled album is well composed and linear but lacks of  those emotional and captivating elements, leaving you in a limbo where nothing ever takes off.

What impresses the most though is Colette’s daunting and biting voice throughout the whole album, bringing a sort of aura that permeates these 10 tracks even when melodies are mildly stained by gothic and grungy basslines.

The trio of tracks that stands out the most are “Scarlet”, “Sugar”, and “Circuitry” where vocal becomes more mature, feminine and bittersweet enough not to spoil the overall subtle result. “Ride” has a stinging guitar in it and the shoegaze distortion of the closing track “Creeping” is enhanced by the “I feel so dizzy” lines.

The album follows 2:54′s opening act tour for some of the XX European shows and even though the performance of the Thurlow’s sisters doesn’t overwhelms as Suzanne Wooder vocals in “Take My Head” album by the Archive, it is still darkly enchanting and full of personality in the current British wave of emerging bands. 2:54 in perfect timing.

Video / Sugar