Bournemouth’s Set In Stone are building up quite a momentum at the moment. With regular local gigs and a prestigious appearance in Liverpool; coupled with the production of this very song their new single “Here, Now and Then” at Parr Studios courtesy of Insure For Music, this band are putting in the hard yards. On this their latest single they keep to that well-trodden style of early 90’s Indie’; taking influence from all the right bands, while carving out their own niche.
“Here, Now And Then” begins softly before those chiming chords kick in. Charlie’s (drums) cymbal-heavy hitting is simple enough, keeping the beat. There’s just enough snarl in Jamie’s (vocals) gravelly vocal to take it above the ordinary, the layered vocals throughout keep it interesting. The chiming chords from Leon (lead) continue during a brief bridge before a heartfelt and honest tale about boy/girl strife becomes the main subject matter of the lyrics. The latter bridge with its swirling guitars are a nice touch and (Sid’s) bass is understated in the background. At over five minutes long they clearly aren’t going for the three minute epic. The final lyric just sums up the mood perfectly: “and it’s clear to see, that you don’t need me at all, don’t need me at all”.
Hearing Set In Stone reminds this fifty-something of the excitement in 1989, when the whole Madchester thing first showed its face in a stale music scene. They have all the right elements: good songs, great musicianship, a bit of swagger and the attire to match. If there’s to be a Britpop/Baggy resurgence I fully expect these guys to feature prominently. There’s a real buzz in the Indie scene right now in Bournemouth – it will be interesting to see who goes furthest?
Band Members
Leon Parkins (Lead Guitar)
Jamie Watts (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
Sid Stephens (Bass/Backing Vocals)
Charlie Shortell (Drums)
Link
https://www.facebook.com/setinstonemusicuk/
Review by Ross A. Ferrone.
