The Sherlocks are not the most distinctive of bands – if I heard one of their songs in public, I’d probably recognise it, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you it’s them – but they definitely have the potential to become more so. Live for the Moment is their debut full length album, set for release on the 18th August, and whilst not especially exciting is a promising start. It’s atmospheric, and belongs to the soundtrack of an indie movie.
Some of the songs are repetitive and bland – such as ‘Nobody Knows’ and ‘Blue’ – but if this were an indie film, they’d still be perfectly in place. They also seem to go on a bit, sometimes, which only works when a song is pure genius. Harry Styles only just about got away with it.
However, overall these tracks are solid. ‘Will You Be There?’ has a catchy chorus and impressive riffs, and sounds heavily influenced by both Franz Ferdinand and Mallory Knox. A seemingly odd combination, but it works. There’s fun, sing-a-long songs that will sound excellent live, like ‘Escapade’ and ‘Last Night’, as well as radio-friendly tunes with a rock ‘n’ roll Coldplay vibe. Not sure how they managed that combination, either. It’s equal parts regretful and determined not to regret anything, balanced in its determination to be optimistic and its human tendency to struggle. The lower moments on the album heighten the impact of those which are more upbeat, as it makes their sentiments feel more real, less clichéd.
This balance is best demonstrated in the contrast between the record’s two stand out tracks – eponymous ‘Live for the Moment’ and the moodier ‘Turn the Clock’. The former is the kind of song that makes you want to throw your hands in the air and smile up into the sun, a perfect road trip song. The latter has much more rise and fall, insisting “I don’t wanna play this game anymore”, yet apologising for it, saying it’s all “easy come, easy go”, whilst sounding like it couldn’t be more difficult. These tensions make this album mean something, and suggest that whilst The Sherlocks are nothing special yet, we should be making an effort to remember them.
Sophia Simon-Bashall
Photo credit: NME <http://www.nme.com/news/music/the-sherlocks-new-uk-tour-1860690>