Demo Den

DAVE BARNES: Binners EP - BLACKBURN'S Dave has cleverly blended a mix of styles, from New Order to The Stone Roses, to create a refreshing sound on this four-track collection.

First up is The Killing Ground, which features vocals very much in the mould of New Order's Bernard Sumner. The song owes a heavy debt to the Manchester outfit.

Don't Ripple In Wonder is by a long way the best track. The craft and composition is outstanding. After one listen the melody is fixed, floating repeatedly around your brain. With a slight Stone Roses feel, this smooth number has all the qualities of a good single.

Throughout the EP Barnes maintains an unrushed style that allows the melodies to breathe. With Angel Wings he changes the mood once again, this time giving his vocals much more prominence, with neat lead guitar bits added for the first time. Closing the package with the tidy Your Calling Memory.

My only doubt is how well the talented musician transfers his sound from the studio to the stage. Credited for all the vocals and music, except for the keyboards on Don't Ripple in Wonder, it would be hard work to perform the tracks live. However, if he's good as this short selection suggests, David Barnes is a name to look out for.

CLIVE LAWRENCE

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.