Boy Kill Boy are making quite a name for themselves as purveyors of
dramatic, epic mini-features in the form of songs. First there was
the urgent, exciting Suzie, and now there's the highly cinematic Civil Sin (again).
Opening like somebody has pressed the panic button at the last human outpost
on earth, the pace doesn't let up until the song has finished, with not a
moment spared for silence when it can be used by jarring guitars, rapid,
military drums and Chris Peck's emotive vocal.
Peck's vocal is hard to pin down, sounding at times like a cocaine-addled
Bowie, with shades of Morrissey and Simon Le Bon (two
very different examples of 'Bowie's Children', perhaps) thrown into the mix.
The song dynamic is compact, tight and thrilling and seems almost designed
with a film theme in mind, and the lyrics ("Who am I?/Only one more life
that you can owe me/It's civilised, it's civilised/It's civil sin") have
dark undertones which complement the punchy music.
Not as immediately impacting or dancefloor-friendly as Suzie, Civil Sin
still has enough gutsiness and excitement to thrill this reviewer, and should
see them continue their march towards super, mega, ultra, hyper stardom. Or
something like that.
share with:
