With Tired Hearts,
Julia ThirteenDepeche Mode-meets-Brand New-meets-Action Action? Dirty 80s-esque synth with the vocal style of Jesse Lacey, Julia Thirteen appear, on face value, to be doing something a wave of bands did 20 years ago. And Action Action and The Bravery's attempts at digging up a nu-wave of dodgy synth bands as influences suggested the genre should possibly be left alone. No-one told Julia Thirteen, a band who may well be intensely talented, but this just scrapes the musical ideas barrel.
"I know, let's get two keyboard players and throw a load of recycled riffs we found 20 years ago, place them in amongst an American-tinged vocal and some uninspired guitar riffs." It wouldn't surprise me if this was actually how a band practice went. Apparently the Glaswegians have been on the go since 1999, but something tells me they probably won't have had this sound for the last seven years. If they have, and they've only just got noticed, it's probably more because they sound like a bad amalgamation of bands following a trend. Dull and poor, recommending only for people who still think having a flock of seagulls is cool.
www.juliathirteen.com
paul
