Second albums are famously tricky for bands to get right. Glasvegas came blasting back onto the stage last year to a chorus of awkward mutterings. MGMT fell (rather unintentionally) onto their swords with Congratulations and a myriad of other bands have followed suit, dropping sophomores to a chorus of pitying glances and NME’s snide sniggers. CYMBALS however, in something of a mixed blessing, have skipped this almost inevitable flop due to the very small audience of their first Lp. Its let the band create a sophomore that’s neither too experimental nor excessively conservative. They’ve achieved the rare feat of pushing their sound to just the right level. Their debut Unlearn was an erratic bundle of tracks that, despite its moments of genius, was evidently the product of a fledgling band finding their feet. Sideways, Sometimes has tied down the band’s sound. Changes in tempo don’t suddenly swerve into view like they did on Unlearn but are instead introduced with the weirdly ethereal ‘Untitled’ tracks. Album highlight Candy Bar even introduces an organic guitar sound that is strikingly at odds with their usual yelping riffs.
That’s not to say its all change. The gangling vocals are still here, as are the prickly guitars and burbling synth. On ‘The Norms’ the band prove they still have a flair for creating unexpectedly danceable grooves with minimal fuss. The addition of a fourth member has certainly paid dividends helping add a new depth to their sound and sanding off some of the rough edges that snuck into Unlearn. With Sideways, Sometimes CYMBALS have produced a very confident successor to their promising debut. It’s by no means a perfect record, but you can sense that this is a band getting close.
[Rating:4]
