Codex
Leicester is a four piece band who formed in late 2010, who fell upon their
name from The Codex Leicester, a
collection of largely scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci. Of Leonardo's
30 journals, The Codex Leicester
is the most famous. Hailing from the four corners of Britain and now based in
the sunny City of Leicester, Codex Leicester is a Pop infused Indie Rock
band who have already gained support from left-field specialist radio
luminaries John Kennedy (XFM), Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales) and Jon
Hillcock (XFM & NME Radio). Their debut EP ‘A Man Man’s Lullaby’ is
set for release on the 28th of May 2012 and the band perceive it as
a snapshot of what is still yet to come from them.
 |
| 'A Mad Man's Lullaby': Artwork |
It is clear from the outset that Codex Leicester are terribly unsure of
who they want to be as a band, in terms of image and sound, as their rapid,
mildly screamo style comes into play with ‘Strong
Like Bull’. However, the song does utilise some interesting sound effects
and drumming techniques. Unusual guitaring and stop-start drumming form ‘Hey Hey Hot Legs’, which, along with an
odd song name, showcases more dire vocals and lyrics. It is obvious the band
have yet to decipher between coming across as an anthemic, festival-appropriate
Indie Rock band, a Pop Rock band or a screamo band.
The whiney guitar noise drags the end of ‘Hey Hey Hot Legs’, but ‘Van Sant’ continues in much the same
way; with several effective components, especially in terms of instrumentation,
but an emotionless, dull approach when it comes to songwriting. ‘Oh Wichita’ is a speedy track that is
so rapid at times that it appears overly hasty, making the lyrics, and
therefore the song’s purpose difficult to pin point.
 |
| Codex Leicester: Promo Shot |
Codex Leicester begins ‘Concrete Stetson’ with unusual voice-echo techniques before
vocalist launches into another screeching verse. The band’s attempt at faded
gang vocals is curious but does not bode well with the heavy metal backbone of
the track, and ‘SS Supersleeper’ (I have
no idea either) brings ‘A Mad Man’s
Lullaby’ to a close by seemingly shouting random words against beautifully rhythmic
instrumentation, that given more gentle and tender vocals, could work well.
Collectively, Codex Leicester appear to have been influenced by a large number of
bands, artists, styles and musical approaches, which has caused them to get
lost in the process of forming their own sound. Yet with some promising
elements, and softer vocals, there is no reason why the band couldn’t hit
listeners on an emotional level and really broaden their fan base.
1/5
No comments:
Post a Comment