Album Review

Cattle And Cane – Sold My Soul

• 11th May 2011

THIS could be the start of something very special for one young North Eastern crew.

Bursting onto the scene with their debut EP ‘Sold My Soul’, Cattle and Cane have fused the depths of lyrics, acoustics and passion with that tricky little minx known as ‘memorable’ to create a cracker of a first release.

Intense romance played out through some powerful pieces of instrumental guitar, their melodies are razor sharp, their intentions clear.

This ain’t no airy fairy folk concoction. This is the work of some young genius’ in the making. Title track ‘Sold My Soul’ is heart-warming in its delivery, and shows off the band’s choral strengths. Singer and guitarist Joe Hammill has certainly got it right with this one – his urge to gig his prized possession live evident throughout its flyby four minutes of play time.
Precise and tickled with grandeur , this is one folk rock track that will have you kickinditching your brogues and knee socks in the club – whatever the state of the floor.

Next up is the haunting Belle, which proves versatile and upbeat  in its delivery. A good one to kick back, relax and do some real thinking to, its pace and honest pop back beats set it up as a probable festival favourite, and deservedly so.

Helen Hammill’s keyboarding skills are fresh and raw, bringing an element of creativity to the band that few other wannabe artists can match thanks to years of mindnumbingly perfect rockband rehearsals.

And their dreams of unmanufactured stardom become a family affair, with Frank Hammill on bass while pal Paul Wilson lends his talents to the drums.

Some may liken these gifted youngsters to Mumford and Sons, and thanks to the breaks between lyrics and the heavy pauses during songs, their similarities cannot go unnoticed.

But the powerful and experienced vocals on the closing ‘We Stand’ prove that the group can indeed stand on their own two feet – provided they stay true to the catchy and meaningful brand of earthy tunes that they have begun to create. Unique in their origins and talents, if Cattle and Cane can get this right, they’ve got a chance to make music that matters.

And whatever happens, this family-trio plus one certainly haven’t sold their souls. If anything, they’ve given themselves a brand new lease of life.